David Gillick says Olympic interview with Rhasidat Adeleke was 'difficult' as she was 'shell-shocked' after narrowly missing medal
The Olympian was praised for his empathetic interviews with Ireland’s track stars in the summer games
RTÉ star David Gillick said his post-race Olympic interview with Rhasidat Adeleke was "difficult" as she was "shell-shocked" after narrowly missing out on a medal.
The Olympian, who holds the Irish indoor and outdoor 400m record, was praised for his empathetic interviews with Ireland’s track stars in the summer games. Superstar sprinter Rhasidat was visibly disappointed when she came fourth in the women’s 400m final.
Immediately after finishing the race she spoke to David for RTÉ, who reassured her that she had already broken barriers by becoming the first Irish female sprinter in an Olympic final. He told the Irish Mirror: "That was a difficult interview because I could see by her that she was shell-shocked and there was so much going through her head.
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"There was silence initially so I was thinking ‘Oh God, what am I going to do - she’s not going to talk to me!’ So in that moment, I was just being human.
"I was trying to put in context how well she has done this year with her age and that race, and I think it was important in that moment to give her a lift. It’s hard because everything happened so quickly but I think empathy is hugely important and a level of understanding in those critical moments goes a long way."
As a former Olympian himself, David said he knows just how difficult it is to be disappointed after a race and then have to speak to reporters. He added: "The mixed zone is a very funny place because it’s so raw, so emotional, and for the individuals coming off the track, they are trying to articulate and comprehend what has just happened.
"And then within 30 to 60 seconds here I am with the camera, at certain times as much as they know me they’re probably like ‘Jaysus, give us a minute!’"
The athletics commentator said there’s no doubt that the sport has surged in popularity in Ireland over the past year, and superstar athletes such as Rhasidat are to thank for that. He said: "We’ve got stars in the sport like Rhasidat, Sophie Becker, Sharlene Mawdsley and Sarah Lavin and they are all really pushing the boundaries and creating headlines.
"I think slowly but surely that has grabbed a bit of momentum over the past few years and in particular this year it has gone wild. I have punters on the road stopping me and talking about Sharlene and Rhasidat and all these athletes who are now kind of household names.
"From the female perspective, they are superstars, my daughter is getting her crop top and shorts on and running around the garden thinking she’s Rhasidat. It’s fantastic."
David has three children with his wife Charlotte - Oscar, 8, Olivia, 6, and three-year-old Louis. His two eldest might follow their father in his Olympic footsteps, as he said little Olivia "has a bit of gas in her".
The young runner often attends the VHI parkrun at the weekend with her father, who is promoting the weekly event to highlight its benefits for mental health. While there are many known physical benefits for running, a VHI survey found that 55 per cent of people who partake in the parkrun do it for their mental health.
After retiring from competitive sprinting, David said running is now about looking after himself and taking time away from the hustle and bustle of his life. However, it wasn’t always easy for him to switch off his competitive streak.
He said: "It took me a while to kick the ego, I’m not afraid to admit that. I remember going to do my first park run and I was fearful about what other people would think.
"I was finishing one time and a fella came up and asked what I ran, I think at the time I ran 25 minutes or something and he took a step back, looked me up and down, and said ‘Really? I thought you’d be running 16 minutes!’
"But my running now is very much around me, I don’t really care what people think, when I get out for a run I feel good about myself, mentally, physically, and that makes me feel good."
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