Rhasidat Adeleke will not compete in the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo after announcing that her 2025 season is over after recent unspecified injury setbacks.
The 22-year-old had qualified for the World Championships in both the 200m and 400m but had struggled to replicate the form of previous seasons over the course of the summer. In a post on Instagram, she said that she was unable to complete the season and would be taking the rest of the year off to recover.
"This season has tested me in more ways than I ever anticipated," Adeleke wrote.
"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’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.
"I’m so grateful to everyone that shows me unwavering support. It means the world. Much love - R."
Adeleke, a European silver medallist in the 400m in Rome last year, would have been targetting her first medal at world level, after fourth place finishes in the Olympic final and at the last world championships in Budapest two years ago.
However, she was unable to reach the heights of 2023 and 2024, with her season's best 400m time of 50.42 well off the 49.07 she posted in Rome last summer.
"This year, she only raced five or six times when in previous years she would have been in the 50s" - Dave Matthews
Two-time Olympian and athletics commentator Dave Matthews told RTÉ Sport: "It is a huge disappointment, but I'm not surprised, to be perfectly honest.
"She opened up her season with a couple of under-par performances and then her no-show in the national championships, because Rhasidat really loves performing in front of the Irish athletics community.
"When she didn't show there, that was a real eyebrow-raiser for me, and then in the Diamond Leagues she wasn't on the entry lists so I knew the writing was on the wall.
"Huge disappointment. She's going have to sit, reset and then get ready for next year.
"This year, she only raced five or six times when in previous years she would have been in the 50s.
"So there was a change of approach and attack by her coaching team. She was going for the global medal, there's no doubt about that."
Adeleke's decision to withdraw from the World Championships is a major blow to Team Ireland's medal hopes, especially for the 4x400m women's relay team which came agonisingly close to a medal at the Paris Olympics, and the 4x400m mixed relay team, who won the inaugural European gold with Adeleke last year.
"The mixed team are really going strong," said Matthews. "Sharlene Mawdsley is running well, Jack Rafferty.
"It's devastating when you take one of your marquee athletes out of the team.
"So it's back to the drawing board. Huge disappointment for that."
