Sonia O'Sullivan criticises Adeleke for not being 'entirely open and honest'
None of those three competitions will hold anything like the prestige of the World Championships. O'Sullivan remains Ireland's most successful female track and field athlete, a silver medalist in the 5,000m at the 2000 Sydney Olympics making her Ireland's only female track and field medalist in history.
"My first concern for Rhasidat Adeleke right now is that she's not being entirely open or honest," she told the Irish Times.
"Not just with herself but with some of the people around her."This was her take last Monday's Instagram post direct from Adeleke's own site, slightly unusual in that it didn't have a statement from her management company or coach running parallel.Perhaps had this occurred during his scholarship time at the University of Texas in Austin and running for their famous Texas Longhorns brand there would have been a bulletin from their communications team.But having foregone her final year at university to turn professional on a Nike contract, she now trains with an international group in Texas that also contains athletes such as Julien Alfred, Dina Asher-Smith and Ackelia Smith.Alfred, 27 and from St Lucia, is the reigning womens 100m Olympic gold medalist; the UK's Asher-Smith, 29, was a 200m gold medalist at the 2019 World Championships; Jamaican Smith, 23, is a long-jumper.Continued O'Sullivan of the lack of clarity: "Without more transparency, it's hard to assess what exactly is going on."Even her posting a message on Instagram on Monday night struck me as odd."Adeleke is one of Ireland's most recognised and popular athletes and I don't think putting out a vague message on social media was the best way to deal with her withdrawal from the World Championships in Tokyo."There have been a number of theories put forward as to why Adeleke has called time on her athletic activities for the year.Certainly she has not posted high-end competitive times at 400m or 200m.An athlete who had run a Irish national record of 49.07 to help win a silver medal at the Europeans in 2024, logged 2025 times of 50.42, 50.48 and 51.3 as June progressed to July.Her 200m times have not been scorching either, she is currently ranked 36th in the world.As it was the Instagram statement O'Sullivan was critical of merely read: "Lingering injuries and continuous setbacks made it increasingly difficult to train and perform at the level I expect from myself."Following yet another recent roadblock, I'm saddened to share that I am unable to finish out the season."I'll take this time to heal, recover and do what's necessary so I can show up next season as my best self, mind and body."Adelele turns 23 next month, still considered young for 400m sprinters who mature and get to their peak in the late-20s to early 30s.
At the same time, there is concern that Adeleke's bio-mechanics may be damaged and there may be need for a procedure or a full-blown operation which could lengthen her time away from the track.
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Monday night saw disappointment for fans of Rhasidat Adeleke as she ruled herself out of the World Championships in Tokyo next month after what she called 'a setback' in her recovery from injury. The Tallaght runner was already forced to withdraw from the National championships in Santry last month with an injury and hasn't raced since the Diamond League meeting in London in July, where she ran 22.95seconds in the 200m. In an Instagram post Adeleke explained that 'following yet another recent roadblock, I'm saddened to share that I'm unable to finish out this season. I'll take this time to heal, recover and do what's necessary so I can show up next season as my best self, mind and body.' Rhasidat Adeleke competing in the women's 4x400m World Championship Qualifying Round 2 during the 2025 World Athletics Relays at Guangdong Olympic Stadium in Guangzhou, China. Photo by Nikola Krstic/Sportsfile It was disappointing news for all involved, but it seems like Sonia O'Sullivan hasn't taken it well. The Olympic silver medalist wrote about the Adeleke situation in her Irish Times column and she didn't seem best pleased with the way she has conducted herself. 'My first concern for Rhasidat Adeleke right now is that she's not being entirely open or honest' O'Sullivan wrote. 'Not just with herself but with some of the people around her,' she continued. The main crux of O'Sullivan's argument is that while Adeleke may not be 100% to run in the individual 400m, she could've been fit enough to run in the women's 4x400m relay, which Ireland finished fourth in the Paris Olympics just last year. 'Maybe another option for Tokyo would have been to just focus on the relay when she realised her individual 400m aspirations weren't working out. If she had the right mindset. That makes you realise, too, the relay will never be a high priority for her. Olympian Sonia O'Sullivan during the Cork City Sports meet at MTU Arena in Cork. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile 'But I think she could have considered that, taken a lot of the pressure off that way. Again, maybe people are telling her she's better than the relay.' O'Sullivan again went after Adeleke's Instagram statement and is unsatisfied with how this whole thing has gone down. 'Without more transparency, it's hard to assess what exactly is going on. Even her posting a message on Instagram on Monday night struck me as odd.' Rhasidat Adeleke. Pic: INPHO/Eric Bellamy 'Adeleke is one of Ireland's most recognised and popular athletes and I don't think putting out a vague message on social media was the best way to deal with her withdrawal from the World Championships in Tokyo.' There are still several other medal hopefuls in Ireland's roster for Tokyo like Kate O'Connor, Mark English and Sarah Healy. It all gets underway on September 13 and runs until September 21.
