There's little chance of Rhasidat Adeleke’s competitors on the track underestimating the Tallaght speed merchant, but the 21-year-old is even surprising herself at her rapid rate of progress.
Team Ireland travelled to the recent World Relay Championships in the Bahamas with ambitions of securing Olympic qualification in both the women and mixed 4x400m events.
Those goals were safely secured on day one, with Adeleke instrumental in both teams, clocking two sub-50 second legs to put Ireland ahead at the halfway stage of both races.
With the races just a couple of hours apart and late into the evening, there was little time for recovery before Adeleke posted her fastest leg of the weekend (48.45) in the mixed relay final.
Having received the baton in fourth, she powered Ireland into second place before Femke Bol pipped Sharlene Mawdsley on the home straight as Ireland claimed bronze and a national record.
A first senior championship medal for Adeleke, and another reminder of her importance to Team Ireland; her blistering leg was over a second faster than any other female runner in the event.
Was she surprised just how fast she could go given the unforgiving schedule?
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"I surprised myself, to see how strong I was. Each round I was getting faster. I was able to get out (in the final), hold it the whole way and continue to catch people.
"That was a testament to how my training has been going. It's not until you race you can really see it translate to the race. That made me really excited for the rest of the season."
The demands on Adeleke are obvious. She sat out the women’s 4x400m final with a spot in Paris already secured, but choosing what events to plump for, at both the European Championships in Rome next month as well as the Olympics, will come down to her coach Edrick Floréal.
Sonia O’Sullivan has spoken that Adeleke will have to make big decisions this summer to get the best out of herself as an individual - "that’s what the best athletes do – they decide what’s best for them" but the athlete herself says that will come closer to the events themselves.
In Rome, the 400m heats are on the morning after the mixed relay final, while in Paris, the mixed relay heats and final are on the opening day of the athletics.
Adeleke says she could well compete in the 200m instead of the 400m at the Europeans to conserve energy ahead of the showpiece in August - "the goal at the Europeans is to win gold, it’s about the event that requires the least energy consumption" – but will place all her faith regarding her events in the hands of Floreal.
"Honestly, it really just depends on what my coach says," she says. "If he wants me to run the relays, I'll run the relays. It’s all down to him as he is very experienced. He knows my training, what I can do, what my fitness is looking like.
"If he thinks it is something that is possible, I’d love to do the relays, because I’d love to win a relay medal with my team. But if he thinks it won’t allow me to do what I should be able to do in an individual event, it will have to be that way."
In the past three global finals that Ireland has contested, the result was eighth place in the mixed relay, and a sixth place in the women’s 4x400m that could have been bronze with Adeleke on the team.
She has spoken about Ireland’s growing stock on the global scale previously, with the displays at the World Relays further enhancing Ireland's reputation among the best.
"We’ve been doing it for a while now, but the Bahamas really put us on other people's radars," she said.
"Everyone was talking about Ireland. Even when we were about to run, on the screen, there was a real focus on us. It shows that people should be wary of us and climbing up to the top of the food chain when it comes to relays. That’s really good going into the Europeans and Olympics."
Adeleke may be the focal point in both respective relay teams, but as an individual athlete she continues to soar.
Michael Johnson has again stated his admiration for Ireland’s sprint star, yet coming from a 200m background, Adeleke feels she has had to earn her stripes in order to command the respect of her peers.
Track is in pretty good hands the next few years!
— Michael Johnson (@MJGold) May 11, 2024
NOW: Noah, Sydney, Sha'Carri, Karston, Shericka, Grant, Athing, Faith, Jakob.
NEXT: Letsile, Rhasidat, Julian, Erryon, Yared.
Who am I missing?
"I think now, especially after the last couple of performances, people are seeing my potential. I’m climbing up there and being recognised as good competition."
Away from the elite level of track and field, Adeleke has been a strong advocate of encouraging children to remain in sport.
With one in five Irish children dropping out of sport between primary and secondary school, Adeleke says the benefits to participation, whatever the level, are there for all to reap.
"I knew what I wanted out of sport, I believed in my potential. Even though I might have had a thought of dropping out, it was never really something I was going to do.
"Even if I wasn’t successful at track and field, I would definitely have stayed in the sport because of the people I have met, the connections I’ve made. Taking a run or going for a session with friends can take your mind off so many other things in life. It is so important to have that avenue."
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