“Maybe another option for Tokyo would have been to just focus on the relay when she realised her individual 400m aspirations weren’t working out,” said Sonia O’Sullivan, criticizing Rhasidat Adeleke for missing the World Championships. Following this, Adeleke reflected on recent struggles and last year’s grueling schedule. It wasn’t a single dramatic injury but months of burnout that forced her to be sidelined. After running 26 races last year, mostly 400m and relays, it became increasingly difficult to train. Despite taking a much-needed break, critics voiced their opinions, but Phil Healy made it clear she’s firmly in Adeleke’s side.

During a chat on ‘Off The Ball’ podcast, Rhasidat Adeleke’s teammate Phil Healy addressed the recent criticism aimed at her friend for withdrawing from the World Championship. She emphasized that Adeleke is still in her 20s, with plenty of room to grow, but that rest is crucial for her development.“Rashidat is my teammate, so I’m always going to support Rashidat in whatever she does. And I think people actually forget that Rhasidat is only 23. Literally only 23 last week. So she’s so, so young. And what she’s achieved in her career to date is absolutely phenomenal. I suppose she has the pressure of the nation as well to go out and perform.”

She further added, “But just similar to what I was saying previously, athletes aren’t robots and expected to come out and perform year after year. Obviously, the supporters want you to come out and perform year after year, but whether Rhasidat has an injury or Rhasidat needs an actual break, everybody needs to support Rhasidat in doing that because that obviously again is the athlete deciding what is best for her at that particular time.”

Throughout this year, the young athlete has been going through various injury-related obstacles due to which she has missed several key competitions, including the Monaco Diamond League and the Irish National Championships. Her missing the World Championships brought the ire of former World Champion, Sonia O’Sullivan, who believes that she is missing the Worlds due to her own bad decisions. The criticism was so intense that her coach, Edrick Floreal, had to come forward to reveal that she is actually very injured. Well, what if we tell you she once supported the athlete?

The time when Sonia O’Sullivan supported Rhasidat Adeleke

The former world champion is critical of the young athlete for now, but back in 2024, when Rhasidat Adeleke was lined up in the 400m finals in the European Championships, she broke the Irish record with a 49.07s run but ultimately settled for silver behind Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek (48.98). Despite her best efforts, she had to settle for the silver, and well, she was saddened by it, but it was O’Sullivan who gave her motivation: “You learn from every race you run. You learn more from the races that you lose than the races that you win.

She further added, “So I think for Rhasidat, I think she obviously has moved on, and she’s realised that yeah, this is happening, but it’s not something I need to focus on. She is respected as a great athlete for Ireland, she is a central part of the Irish team, and she’s the heart and soul of Irish athletics right now.” O’Sullivan sent a strong message stating that while it would have been wonderful to celebrate her third medal, silver might actually be better in the long run.

Well, Sonia O’Sullivan might just want the best for the young athlete, but her comments might not be what Rhasidat needs right now. As she takes a break from competition, it is not certain when the Irish star will make a comeback.