Rhasidat Adeleke on 2025 plan and promoting a 'clean' sport

This Thursday will see Rhasidat Adeleke celebrate her 22nd birthday. As an athlete competing on the world stage, she has achieved a lot so far. The expectation of greater days still to come no doubt fuels her desire.

The past few months have been a whirlwind to say the least for the Tallaght native. In May, after cramming in extra classes, Adeleke completed her degree in Corporate Communications from the University of Texas. That same month saw her help Ireland's mixed 4×400m and women's 4×400m relay teams qualify for the Paris Olympics.

A month later there was medal success at the European Championships; gold in the 4x400 mixed relay, with silver in the 4x400 relay and the same colour for her run in the 400m final, where she set a new Irish record of 49.07.

Other prep races, including her appearance at the National Championships, came in the run up to the athletics programme at the Stade de France.

A medal prospect, we hoped, in the 400m final. Adeleke came close. An improvement on her run in the semi-final, saw her just miss out on a podium finish. Twenty-fours on and she, along with Sophie Becker, Phil Healy and Sharlene Mawdsley, also had to ponder what might have been after finishing fourth.

No rest, however, for Adeleke. She was back in Diamond League action on Sunday last in Poland.

It was a case of Paris revisited in the 400m; the Irish competitor trailing behind the trio that medalled in the French capital.

There is the Diamond League final to come for Adeleke in Brussels. But speaking at an Allianz media event, there was time to reflect on a busy few months, while also starting to focus on where improvements can be made for the 2025 season.

On her Olympic experience and coming so close to a medal, Adeleke said: "It was