DUBLIN’S RHASIDAT ADELEKE has won gold for Ireland in the girl’s 100-metre sprint at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The 16-year-old powered past the field to cross the whitewash, hand raised, in a time of 11.7 seconds.

“I don’t really know — I just felt like I got a decent-enough start,” said a beaming Adeleke post-race.

My coach told me to just ‘drive, drive, drive’, and hopefully by 60 metres, from then you just try and pull away — and I think that’s what I did, so I’m so happy.

When it was put to her that she raised her hand as she crossed the line, Adeleke replied: “Yeah! Because, I was… I don’t know… You always have doubts, so I’m just like, ‘I finally did it’, you know? This is what I’ve been preparing for all season, and to get the gold — I’m so happy, yeah.

“I’m ecstatic. I just can’t believe it.”

Last year, the Tallaght AC starlet won 4x100m relay silver for Ireland at the 2018 IAAF World U20 Championships in Tampere, Finland, alongside Molly Scott, Gina Akpe-Moses, Ciara Neville and Patience Jumbo-Gala.

Adeleke also won gold in the 200m at the 2018 European Athletics U18 Championships in Győr, Hungary.

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