HER athletics career is still in its early years but Irish Olympics Rhasidat Adeleke has called for “more life-long consequences” for those guilty of doping.
The Dubliner finished fourth in the Olympic 400m final in which Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser took the silver medal – having served a two-year ban from 2021 after anti-doping violations by missing three tests.
“I think for sure if there were more life-long consequences to doping, being caught, or missing three tests, things like that, then people would think twice before making certain decisions,” said Adeleke.
“I feel if the sanctions were higher, if there were more significant consequences, it would have a different outcome. I’m not in the place to make those decisions. It’s really up to WADA, etc.”
The Irish star acknowledged she has concerns that she is not competing in a clean sport, commenting: “It’s kinda sad sometimes when you think about it. Knowing how hard I work, how much I sacrifice and do to perform at the best of my abilities, that fear factor knowing that some people aren’t doing the same…
“It is a shame, but there’s nothing I can do about that. It’s all about justice prevailing and making sure that we are in a clean sport, people doing their part, and me doing my part. Other than that, there’s not much I can do. I can’t control what other people are doing. I’m just hoping that’s not the position we are in.”
The fourth place in Paris obviously hurts, but Adeleke insists she will learn lessons from it: “I do think about it sometimes still, but I’ve probably moved past it. It’s already happened, there’s nothing I can do now so there’s no point dwelling about it and thinking, what ifs?
“It’s just moving on forward and knowing how I can be better. I think it’s more so about looking back on it also and thinking what I’ve learned from it and what I can do better. Just analysing what happened in each segment…
“I’m moving past it now and I’m trying to see it for what it is. Trying to have a positive light on it because it’s not a horrible position to be in, I guess.”
Adeleke finished fourth again at the weekend in the Diamond League meet in Poland, behind the same three athletes who beat her in Paris, but put that down to experimentation in her race tactics.
Still only 21, albeit with her birthday on Thursday, she admitted she has much to learn, having shot off to a flying start on Sunday in Silesia before being overhauled by Olympic champion Marileidy Paulion, Naser, and Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek:
“My coach wanted me to try something and we’re at the point in the season where you can experiment because the main part of the season is over.
“I think I did a good 300, and I feel like I panicked in the last 100m. I was ahead and I was like, “Oh my God, where are they? Where are they? And then I soon found out where they were!
“It was a good time I feel to figure out things about running a 400. I feel like I definitely need a lot more experience, which me and my coach talked about, probably doing a couple more 400s to really figure out what my style of running should be.”
She was ill after Paris, and had another setback as her luggage was mislaid en route to Poland, only getting it back shortly before returning to her Texas base, she revealed with a rueful laugh: “That was pretty tragic, honestly, because I hold my stuff very dearly, and not having my stuff there threw me off a lot.”
Yet she is fully aware that improving her finish is an aspect to focus on next: “I think honestly a part of it was panic, I feel like if I’m ahead, and I know the competition is fierce, I sometimes go into panic mode. It might not even be the fatigue that hits me at that point, sometimes it’s the panic.
“As soon as the panic hits my form, it literally disappears. And it definitely doesn’t promote a fast finish.”
The finish to this season can’t come fast enough. Rhasidat will be glad to complete the Diamond League in Brussels on September 13, after what has been a draining year:
“I was so tired after the race [in Poland], everyone was like laid out, considering the times weren’t spectacularly fast, obviously Paulino ran pretty well, but the rest of us were really exhausted.
“I was talking with some of the other girls who have a bit more experience, asking ‘Why is everyone so tired?’ - Sada Williams was like ‘Girl, it’s been a long season, this is how it is!’.
“I was really tired about Budapest last season and I thought it was because of the collegiate season, but even as a pro, the mental capacity it takes to keep going day in, day out, and I even had an indoor season too, so it’s still that same type of fatigue that is there.”
Having been more of a sprinter in her younger days, the Tallaght native says she is still adjusting to the 400m distance:
“I feel like with only two years of actually training for the event, you have so much to figure out.
“Experience is a huge factor in being a good 400m runner because you’ll need to know how to run, which style, where you’re positioned, your competition, and they are some of the things we are trying to figure out.
“We have a lot to work on, and I’m just really focussed on continuing to work hard, staying healthy, and just continuing to be in a good mental space, too, and just keep pushing forward really.”
