Turning pro will allow Rhasidat Adeleke to strive and stride for perfection

This time last week, Rhasidat Adeleke had yet to compete as a professional athlete. In the intervening seven days she's taken in two events in the paid ranks and made it back to Dublin for the National Athletics Championships at Morton Stadium this weekend.

Adeleke's relentless rise culminated in a NCAA Championships gold in the 400m last month as she capped off her collegiate career in style, setting a new Irish record of 49.20 seconds in the process.

Not that breaking records is anything new to the 20-year old, who has lowered seven national marks indoors and outdoors in an annus mirabilis for the University of Texas alumna.

With her star in the ascendancy, sponsors circling and Paris 2024 just over the horizon, Adeleke was convinced now was the time to take the plunge into the pros.

"The Olympics coming up was the main deciding factor," the Tallaght AC star told RTÉ Sport.

"I want to make sure I am the best prepared that I can be for the Olympic Games and I feel that being a professional athlete will allow me to do that.

"I can create my own competition schedule, my own training schedule and gear everything towards peaking for the Games."

The transition from amateur to professional was something Adeleke took in her stride last week, finishing second behind 200m world champion Shericka Jackson in 22.36 at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial meeting in Hungary before clocking 44.99 when fourth in the 400m at Monaco's prestigious Diamond League meeting on Friday night.

"It was a good experience and it was definitely interesting to see the difference between how the professionals run the 400 and how the collegiates run it," Adeleke said matter-of-factly.

"It was a good indicator to see where I am in my training."

.@rhasidatadeleke on her