Rhasidat Adeleke put in a stunning performance on Friday at the U20 European Athletics Championships, to claim a gold medal for Ireland in the 100m.
Dubliner Adeleke stormed through to the final with the quickest qualifying time, having run an 11.37 in her heat and then 11.38 in Thursday's semi-final.
18-year-old Adeleke storms to European 100m gold
Is the European U20 100m title heading back to Ireland? 🇮🇪@rhasidatadeleke sails through her 100m semifinal in 11.38! 💥 #Tallinn2021 pic.twitter.com/5oUaEfhuNW
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) July 15, 2021
Friday brought the final in the 100m, and the result was never in doubt.
Adeleke stormed out of the blocks and looked unphased and in control throughout the race, as she claimed a dominant gold medal with a time of 11.34.
It's gold for Ireland! 🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪
Rhasidat Adeleke storms to the women's 100m title at the European U20 Championships in Tallinn! 🥇#Tallinn2021 pic.twitter.com/4Mx4Occ6Ni— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) July 16, 2021
Adeleke is only the second Irish sprinter to win European gold at U20 level, after Gina Akpe Moses' triumph in the same event four years ago.
The dominant nature of her win only added to the celebrations, and it would seem that a bright career is ahead of the Tallaght-based runner.
It's already been a hugely successful summer for Adeleke. The past year has been spent on an athletic scholarship in the University of Texas, and she broke the Irish 200m record at a meet in May. She is now within touching distance of Phil Healy's 100m record of 11.28, at the age of only 18.
💥WOW!!!
Rhasidat Adeleke (Tallaght AC) has just secured a gold medal for Ireland in the final of the 100m at the European U20 Championships in Tallinn!!!
⏱️11.34
What a performance!!!#Tallinn2021 pic.twitter.com/rWdy2jIaYF— Athletics Ireland (@irishathletics) July 16, 2021
Adeleke has the chance to go for gold again on Saturday, with a potential 200m final to look forward to. She will run in the semi-final at 1:40pm and, should she qualify, the final will get underway at 3:55pm Irish time. The action can be streamed live on European Athletics' website.
The future is bright for Irish athletics and, with European gold, Adeleke has further solidified her place as the most exciting sprinting talent for the future.
SEE ALSO: No Sex, No Booze And No Welcome - Tokyo's Strict 2020 Olympic Protocols
