Only 21 years old, and Rhasidat Adeleke is already making history! The 2024 Olympic semi-finalist has been a two-time gold medalist at the 2021 European Athletics U20 Championship. She is one of those gem sprinters who holds several national records. This, of course, includes her achievement of being the first athlete in her nation with a 400-meter record of 49.07 seconds. She has been announced to be the fastest woman in the nation.

Adeleke has a stellar record list; from 60 meters indoors to 400 meters, she has set her country’s bar in all of them. That has, by default, turned all of her nation’s eyes on her. But what is her nationality, and has her family always belonged there? Let us take a peek at the map of the Adeleke family’s residence.

Learn About Rhasidat Adeleke’s nationality and ethnicity

Ireland’s national pride, Rhasidat Adeleke, was born on August 29, 2002, in Dublin. Although Irish by nationality, Adeleke is a proud Yoruba. Her ethnicity traces back to Western Nigeria. However, her ethnic group has shown a growing representation in the African Diaspora, which explains the change in her nationality. And it is not merely a few; Ireland had a count of 10,100 Yoruba back in 2011, and the number has increased since.

Rhasidat Adeleke’s parents, Ade and Prince Adeleke were Nigerian by birth, hailing from Oyo State in western Nigeria. According to the Echo, the couple moved to Ireland around 27 years ago. Since then, the family has become Irish citizens, and now their daughter represents their new country on several prestigious international platforms.

Rhasidat Adeleke’s early life

“My daughter started running at the age of five in school and always won the school title,” Adeleke’s mother had stated. But Rhasidat Adeleke did not join athletics right away. She had played several sports very early on, and of course, it includes basketball, given that she stands 6 feet tall. But besides basketball, Adeleke has played Gaelic football, camogie, volleyball, and even badminton.

It was not until Adeleke beat boys in her school’s sports days that she took a turn toward her career. According to her sister, Latifah, who is also an athlete, Rhasidat Adeleke joined the Tallaght Athletic Club at the age of 11. “At 14, she made her mark on the national athletic scene by winning the junior sprint double at the Irish Schools Championships for her secondary school, Presentation Community College, in south Dublin,” reported France 24. 

After her national feat, the very next year, as a 15-year-old, Adeleke left a mark internationally after she won gold at the 200-meter European U18 Championships in Hungary. Do you think this Irish athlete with Nigerian roots will be able to win Olympic gold this season? Let us know in the comments below.