Adeleke omission the only sour note on golden weekend for Irish athletics

Rhasidat Adeleke stamped her superiority over Europe’s best teenage sprinters but won't be at the Olympics

TALLINN, ESTONIA - JULY 17: Nicholas Griggs of Ireland reacts in the Men's 3000m Final during European Athletics U20 Championships Day 3 at Kadriorg Stadium on July 17, 2021 in Tallinn, Estonia. (Photo by Joosep Martinson/Getty Images for European Athletics)

There had never been a weekend like this for Irish athletics, at least not at an underage championships: four gold medals arriving in quick succession at the European U-20s in Tallinn, Estonia, won by a trio of athletes who look capable of progressing to the very highest level.

Among them it was an 18-year-old from Tallaght who shone brightest, Rhasidat Adeleke stamping her superiority over Europe’s best teenage sprinters, sparking unbridled hope for the future of Irish athletics. If ever there was a doubt about just how good an athlete Adeleke is, she dispelled it in emphatic fashion.