Ayomide Folorunso holds Italy’s national records in the women’s 400m hurdles, as well as the 4x400m relay indoor and outdoor, but also captained her national team at the Glasgow World Indoor Championships in early March. The 27-year-old athlete is now hoping for a strong performance at the Rome European Athletics Championships from June 7-12.
The hurdler says that she can’t wait to compete in Italy: “It will be wonderful to run at home, in such a beautiful stadium as Olimpico”.
“The Golden Gala in Rome is already an event for friends, family, and all Italian fans, so I can’t imagine what will happen at the European Athletics Championship”, added Ayomide Folorunso.
The Italian athlete is the 2017 European Under-23 Girls’ 400m hurdles champion from Bydgoszcz.
“The magical atmosphere will push us to give our best and give us the opportunity to test ourselves at the international level. It will be a dream”, said Ayomide Folorunso.
Born in Nigeria, Ayomide Folorunso has been training at a training base near Parma since 2004. She is the daughter of a religious teacher and pastor and attends a medical university. She was seventh at the European Athletics Championships in Munich 2022 and sixth at the 2023 Budapest World Athletics Championships.
“My goal has never changed. And she is constantly improving. It is my wish, my prayer, that the difficulties of last year will be resolved and the achievements made in the past will serve as a solid foundation for this year”, said Ayomide Folorunso. “Athletics is a very individual sport where you are often alone against yourself. Behind each athlete, however, is always a collective effort, with dedicated staff guiding athletes to reach their peak mental and physical condition. When we come together as a group, the energy of each athlete among us multiplies. A teammate who performs well stimulates you and gives you strength”, added she.
Among the opponents Ayomide Folorunso will face at the European Athletics Championships is the Dutch world champion Femke Bol, with whom she has shared a training base in South Africa in recent months.
“Working with such a talented girl and the group of internationally recognized athletes who gathered around her helped me understand how to train better: in addition to talent, there is an important way of thinking”, noted Ayomide Folorunso. “Over the years, I have watched Femke Bol a lot, when the training is over, she always dedicates herself to specific sessions to strengthen certain parts of the body. Fortunately, it’s an approach I’ve taken since I was young, but watching such a strong athlete made me realize that this is the right path. In order to improve, you must never neglect the details”, added the Italian athlete.
Ayomide Folorunso was part of Italy’s 4x400m relay teams that won silver (2023) and bronze (2019) at the European Indoor Championships.
“We are a very close-knit group with a beautiful history. The medals won encourage us for the challenges ahead and make us dream big”, said Ayomide Folorunso.
