Rhasidat Adeleke nails final chance as she secures European Championships qualifying time
Irish sprinter Rhasidat Adeleke has qualified for the European Championships after winning the 200-meter title at the National Championships. Despite facing recent injuries and significant pressure, she achieved the qualifying time of 22.80 seconds.
Why it matters
Adeleke is a rising star in athletics, and her ability to overcome performance pressure and physical setbacks is a significant narrative in European track and field.
The home crowd rose to the occasion and Rhasidat Adeleke did too, the Dublin sprinter nailing her last chance to qualify in the 200 metres for next month’s European Championships with magnificent timing and style.
There was a nervy pause inside the Morton Stadium in Santry when Adeleke powered across the finish line to win the National Championship title, before the clock flashed up her time of 22.80 seconds – inside the required 22.85 to book her ticket to Birmingham, where the Europeans take place in just over two weeks’ time.
Better still, Adeleke ran into a stiff -1.1 headwind, suggesting there are faster times to come after – by her own admission – weeks of adversity and increasing pressure, which at times became all-consuming.
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