Tallaght Athletics Club member Rhasidat Adeleke
Rhasidat knocked off top spot of Ireland’s most marketable sports star
TALLAGHT Olympian Rhasidat Adeleke has been knocked off the top spot of Ireland’s most marketable sports star.
According to research from sponsorship consultants Onside and Marketing Institute Ireland (MII), the Tallaght Athletics Club star has been replaced as Ireland’s most marketable sports star for 2025 by golfer Rory McIIroy.
It has been a difficult year for Adeleke, who was forced to pull out of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
Taking to social media, the University of Texas based sprinter announced that her 2025 season was over after an unspecified injury setback in August.
Last year, Adeleke led the rankings as Ireland’s most marketable athlete, followed by Olympic boxing champion Kellie Harrington, with McIlroy in third.
McIlroy tops this year’s rankings ahead of fellow golfer Shane Lowry and Adeleke, who are tied for second place.
World Championship medallist track and field athlete Kate O’Connor completes the top three.
McIlroy’s surge to the top spot comes after an exceptional year on and off the course.
The Holywood star completed his career grand slam in 2025 and claimed a dramatic victory at the Irish Open at the K Club, cementing his position as one of golf’s global icons.
Shane Lowry’s joint second-place ranking follows another strong year for the Offaly native, highlighted by his crucial role in helping Europe retain the Ryder Cup on US soil alongside McIlroy in September.
