Rhasidat Adeleke announces that she is turning professional

TURNING PROFESSIONAL: Rhasidat Adeleke has announced that she will forgo the remainder of her NCAA eligibility and turn professional. Pic: ©INPHO/Brendan Maloney

Rhasidat Adeleke has announced that she will forgo the remainder of her NCAA eligibility and turn professional.

The 20-year-old revealed on Instagram today that her dazzling collegiate career at the University of Texas has reached its end, with Adeleke set to contest her first race as a pro at the Diamond League in Monaco next Friday, where she will take on US star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone over 400m.

Adeleke brought the curtain down on her collegiate career with victory at the NCAA Championships in Austin last month, clocking an Irish 400m record of 49.20, a performance which will have drawn lucrative offers from multiple shoe brands. She has yet to state which brand she has signed for.

"I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to represent the University of Texas these past three years. I couldn't have made a better decision!" she wrote. 

"I'd like to thank absolutely everyone who supported me along the way and those that helped me become who I am today. However, I'd like to announce that I am forgoing the remainder of my eligibility and becoming a professional athlete."