O'Sullivan: Adeleke must keep blocking out abuse and focus on glory

“For all the positive messages and things you see online, if there's just one negative thing it can hurt you more than anything."

ADELEKE ADVICE: Allianz ambassador and Irish Olympic Silver medallist, Sonia O’Sullivan, as Allianz launch their new “Stop The Drop” research. The Stop The Drop campaign sheds critical light on the decline in sports participation among Irish children, particularly during the pivotal transition from primary to secondary school. Pic Credit: Dan Sheridan, Inpho.

Few Irish athletes lived under a microscope as searching as Sonia O’Sullivan.

A runner of rare class, her every appearance at major championships was scrutinised to the nth degree. The hopes of a nation invariably rested on her shoulders.