Former Olympian Sonia O'Sullivan has spoken about the horrendous racism abuse Irish athletics star Rhasidat Adeleke received - saying it is "not acceptable".
Adeleke won mixed 4x400m relay gold, women's 4x400m relay silver and individual 400m silver in a terrific week in Rome at the European Championships.
However, her coach Edrick Floréal spoke to Q102′s Weekend Sports Breakfast about horrid comments made online in the wake of last month's World Athletics Relays, where she had helped Ireland to Olympic qualification.
Sonia, who won an Olympic silver medal in 2000, three World Championship medals, three European Championship medals and four world records, said it's "not acceptable" for comments to be made like that about any athlete.
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Speaking exclusively to us, Sonia said: "I only saw a little bit.. I don't go digging for stuff like that and I don't think she should either, which I don't think she does.
"It's obviously something that is out there and people should try and stamp it out as people should.
"It's not acceptable. I think it is important for everyone to focus on the positives and the sport and what she is actually doing."
Mr Floreal who has coached the track star since her move to the University of Texas in 2021, revealed on Q102′s Weekend Sports Breakfast that online abuse had "really affected her, that her own people said negative things about her being an Irishwoman or not."
The coach went onto say that: "I told her: 'This is part of the deal, being who you are, attracting the attention you are attracting, that’s part of the deal, it comes with the territory, you can’t have one without the other and you’re going to have to accept it for what it is and deal with it and continue to train and perform'."
Sonia admitted Adeleke needs to focus on her training and not people trying to bring her down.
The Cork star said: "I think her coach brought up something that happened a while back and then it just opens a can of worms again, doesn't it?
"So I think it's best when you're dealing with an athlete and it's so high profile, who is training at such a high intensity and competing at such a high intensity that you have to focus on what she's trying to do, not people who were trying to take her down."
Sonia was speaking at the launch of RTE Summer of Sport where the broadcaster announced
Adeleke will head to the Paris Games as one of Ireland's brightest medal hopes which Sonia will be commentating on for RTE, alongside Grainne Murphy and Rob Heffernan.
RTÉ Sport announced its Olympic and Paralympic coverage adding to a bumper summer of free to air sport.
RTÉ will deliver over 250 hours of Olympic and 100 hours of Paralympic coverage on television and RTÉ Player with over 500 hours in total including online coverage.
RTÉ Radio will also have live coverage of the major Irish events at the Olympics and Paralympics, the GAA Championships, the Irish Rugby Tour of South Africa, the Golf majors and the rest of the sporting action which will also be captured across RTÉ News and RTÉ Online.
RTÉ will broadcast live across the 17 days of the Olympics and 12 days of the Paralympics ensuring audiences are connected with all the action in Paris across all platforms.
Alongside the live action, RTÉ is also delivering two brand new series focusing on our Irish Olympians. Path to Paris (Thursdays, RTÉ One & RTÉ Player) follows Ireland's top medal prospects, including Rhasidat Adeleke, boxing champion Kellie Harrington and gymnast Rhys McClenaghan, as they strive to qualify for the greatest show on earth, the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Chapters of Magnificence, an 11-part series featuring interviews with Irish Olympic medallists, continues this Sunday 30 June at 7.30pm on RTÉ Radio 1 with Annalise Murphy and on RTÉ Radio Player.
RTÉ Sport presenters and panellists gathered in Studio 5 to celebrate RTÉ's Summer of Sport in front of a live studio audience. Former Olympians Sonia O'Sullivan and Grainne Murphy looked forward to the Paris Olympics when Ireland's biggest ever team will be in the hunt for medals. Multi gold medal-winning Paralympian Jason Smyth, described as the world's fastest ever Paralympian, gave his insights into Ireland's prospects in Paris as RTÉ Sport is set to provide its largest ever coverage of the Paralympics this year with 100 hours on RTÉ2 television and over 500 hours in total including RTE Radio, RTE News, RTE Online and the RTÉ Player.
With the GAA Championship and UEFA Euro 2024 well underway, Richie Sadlier and Stephen Kelly talked all things Euros with presenter Paul O'Flynn while Ursula Jacob and Paul Flynn discussed an already engrossing GAA Championships.
Declan McBennett, Group Head of Sport, RTÉ said: “We have always prided ourselves in bringing the must see sporting moments to our audience. Never before has that seemed more apt than the summer of 2024. European athletics glory has simply whetted the appetite for further shows of excellence in an Irish singlet in Paris. The climax of the Euros and the GAA championship promises edge of the seat drama and the prospect of history in the making. The unpredictable nature of sport is sure to draw us in for moments that become memories and those will last forever. RTÉ Sport is proud to share those moments with the Irish public, free to air."
The live action continues this weekend with two days of Racing from the Curragh with the Dubai Duty Free Derby Festival, the 123.ie National Athletics Championships from Santry, the Round of 16 from UEFA Euro 2024, and a live double header of Football quarter-finals from Croke Park on the Sunday Game Live - Louth v Donegal followed by Kerry v Derry with Irish language commentary available on the RTÉ News channel.
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