'You're that girl. You can do this': Adeleke beams after reaching European women's 200m final

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RHASIDAT ADELEKE HAS stormed into the final of the women’s 200m after winning her semi-final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham.

Adeleke, who has struggled with injuries over the last year, clocked a season’s best time of 22.43 in the third of three semi-finals, and advanced in style as the second-fastest automatic qualifier.

Impressive from Rhasidat Adeleke in winning her 200m semi-final in a season's-best time of 22.43 at the European Athletics Championships #rtesport #EuropeanAthletics pic.twitter.com/XZ2nrV7LAa

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 12, 2026

“It felt good,” she told RTÉ’s David Gillick after her semi-final.

“Just having fun and enjoying the process has really brought me down to earth. I’m taking it all in my stride and not allowing the pressure to consume me, but I’m allowing it to fuel me.

“For me, it’s just repetition. I haven’t raced that much this year, so getting the rounds in is very important for me. I knew I could do something good. It’s just believing it, believing in the training and believing that I am still who I am – the person with all the records and the medals.

“Sometimes when you’re down and things aren’t going well, you forget who you are. And today I was like, ‘You’re that girl. You can do this.’”

'Just having fun and enjoying the process has really brought me down to earth - now I'm just enjoying everything' - a content Rhasidat Adeleke on reaching the 200m final at the European Athletics Championships #rtesport #EuropeanAthletics pic.twitter.com/i9QbqeQrO8

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 12, 2026

Reflecting on her victory at the National Athletics championships where she secured the European qualification time, Adeleke said:

“I was in a place where I was consuming myself with so much negativity. And as an athlete who wants to achieve a lot, that’s gonna happen when things aren’t going well. So, that moment in Santry did more than I could imagine for me. That’s why I’m able to show up here today.”

Ireland’s Lauren Roy was also competing in the women’s 200m and finished in fourth place in the second semi-final.

Roy was running in Lane 4 and after a blistering start, she took fourth in time of 23.16. It wasn’t enough to clinch a place in the final, but it was an impressive performance.

Meanwhile, Nicola Tuthill has secured a brilliant fifth-place finish after a best throw of 70.33m in the women’s hammer throw final. The UCD AC athlete, who produced a best throw of 70.09m to advance to the final, finished in ninth place on her debut at this competition in 2024.

The Cork woman has now improved on that result and has revealed to RTÉ that this is her last event of the season.

Written by Sinead Farrell and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.

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