Rhasidat Adeleke hopes to become the first Irish female to win an Olympic athletics gold in Paris, an achievement that would provide a fitting riposte to racists who have targeted her for online abuse.
Born and raised in Ireland to Nigerian parents, Adeleke, 21 years old, heads to Paris as the European 400 metres silver medallist — one of three medals she won in Rome in June — and an impressive win at the Monaco Diamond League meet.
However, the warm afterglow of her performances at the European Championships — gold in the mixed 4x400m relay and silver in the 4×400 women’s relay — was overshadowed by a wave of racist abuse on social media which questioned her right to represent Ireland. The abuse prompted Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris into saluting her as an inspiration to “young girls and boys.
Indeed there is much to be positive about heading to the Olympics, with her clocking the fourth fastest time of the season thus far of 49.07 seconds in Monaco.
As ever, she had been accompanied by her mother to have a look at the campus but unlike a legion of tricky relationships between pushy parents and talented athletes this one seems unbreakable.
Adeleke, whose sister Latifah is also a promising athlete, feels she owes her mum and there could be no better gift than Olympic gold.