Rhasidat Adeleke had a record-breaking night Stateside, as she broke her own Irish indoor 60m and 200m records.
At the Dr Martin Luther King Jr Collegiate Invitational in Albuquerque, Adeleke brought her 60m national record down from 7.17 to 7.15, winning her first outing of 2024 and racking up the second-fastest time of the year worldwide in the process.
An hour later, Adeleke then finished second in the 200m but took her Irish record down to 22.49 from 22.52. Her training partner Julien Alfred took the win in 22.28.
The achievements will only add to the chatter that Adeleke can come home from the Paris Olympics with medals around her neck, but judging by her social media post from last night, that isn't all she's interested in.
Over in New Mexico, Rhasidat Adeleke has just broken her own national record in the indoor 60m.pic.twitter.com/nNKMTSV70H
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) January 20, 2024
Rhasidat Adeleke breaks two Irish records
A post on fellow Irish athlete Timmy Crowe read "4 parents texting me tonight to see how they can get there daughters into athletics. I think you call it the @rhasidatadeleke effect," to which Adeleke herself replied: "That’s the goal."
While her career remains in its infancy, the 21-year-old can rest assured that she has inspired, and will continue to inspire, young children around the country as they watch her career blossom.
Adeleke burst onto the scene by winning gold in the 200m at the European Under-18 Championships in Hungary back in 2018, before matching that achievement in the 100m and 200m at the European Youth Festival in Baku the following year.
That’s the goal🥹🤍
— Rhasidat Adeleke (@rhasidatadeleke) January 21, 2024
Adeleke's stellar achievements
Two further golds came at the European Under-2o Championships in Estonia in 2021, before announcing herself at senior level with strong finishes at the European Championships in Munich in 2022 and the World Championships in Hungary last summer.
Adeleke won the RTÉ Young Sportsperson of the Year award for 2022 and if Paris goes as well as she hopes this year, her chances of taking home the senior award will skyrocket.
