Rhasidat Adeleke with her coach Edrick Floreal
Rhasidat Adeleke’s coach Edrick Floreal has addressed speculation surrounding the Dubliner’s withdrawal from the upcoming World Championships, telling the Irish Independent that she withdrew from the event in Tokyo simply due to injury.
In an Instagram post on Monday night, Adeleke revealed that she would miss out on the championships as “lingering injuries and continuous setbacks made it increasingly difficult to train and perform at the level I expect from myself”, adding: “Following yet another recent roadblock, I’m saddened to share that I’m unable to finish out this season.”
The 22-year-old did not specify what injuries she had dealt with this year, and there was significant speculation online in the days after about whether there was more to the story.
In a column for The Irish Times, former world champion Sonia O’Sullivan wrote that Adeleke was “not being entirely open or honest” and that she thought the Dubliner had made “bad decisions” this year.
Sonia O’Sullivan. Photo: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
O’Sullivan suggested that Adeleke could have gone to Tokyo for the relays but added that “maybe people are telling her she’s better than the relay”. She wrote that it was “possible it’s more of a mental issue than anything physical”.
When told of the speculation in Ireland surrounding Adeleke’s withdrawal from Tokyo, Floreal – who has coached her since 2021 at the University of Texas – offered a concise response. “She is honestly injured and cannot compete at a world class level,” he wrote in a text message.
Adeleke’s last race came just over a month ago, when she finished fourth over 200m at the London Diamond League in 22.52, which was a little down on her Irish record of 22.34.
Rhasidat Adeleke with her coach Edrick Floreal
Today’s News in 90 Seconds – August 22nd
In her specialist 400m event, the Dubliner had been well down on her national record of 49.07 during the season, clocking 51.33 in her most recent outing at last month’s Eugene Diamond League, while her season’s best of 50.42 from Oslo in June ranks her 26th in the world.
Back in May, Adeleke had lined up for Ireland at the World Relays in China, helping both the mixed and women’s 4x400m teams to secure qualification for the World Championships in Tokyo, which run from September 13-21.