Summary
– Temitope Adeshina: Second Nigerian woman in Olympic high jump.
– First Nigerian woman high jumper on NCAA podium.
– Cleared 1.97m, third place at NCAA.
– Lost gold on countback at 1.97m.
– Holds both indoor and outdoor national records.
Temitope Adeshina has cleared her way into history books as the second Nigerian woman after Doreen Amata to compete in the high jump event at the Olympics.
Temitope Adeshina Writes History
The 25 year old also made history as the first Nigerian woman high jumper to make it to the podium at the NCAA outdoor championships.
In a thrilling high jump contest in Eugene, Oregon Saturday night, Adeshina cleared a new lifetime best and Nigeria record of 1.97m to place third behind reigning African Games champion, Rose Yeboah of Ghana (1.97m) and Elena Kulichenko (1.97m).
Gold Slips Off
Adeshina lost the gold on countback after only managing to clear 1.91m, 1.94m and 1.97m on her third attempt while Yeboah cleared 1.94m on her first attempt albeit all three cleared 1.97m on their third and final attempt.
The trio however failed to clear the next height, 2.00m on all three attempts.
Having set a new indoor national record in the early days of her NCAA journey in January, the 25-year-old now holds both indoor and outdoor national records, which were previously held by Doreen Amata.
“I’m so happy I can make the Olympics with the authentic standard and not by ranking,” Adeshina said
“I’ve set the qualification as part of my season target and I am glad to have finally achieved it.”
In January, during the Texas Tech Corky Classic, she jumped 1.96m, which was 0.01m shy of the Paris Olympic Games automatic qualifying standard.
She, however, finished third in the NCAA women’s high jump based on countback behind Rose Yeboah and Elena Kulichenko, who tied for first place with the same mark of 1.97m.
Another Trio Victorious
Also at the Championship, Rosemary Chukwuma finally made it to the podium,running a wind-aided 10.90 to win the bronze medal while compatriot, Tima Godbless could only run 11.10 to finish eighth.
Godbless did not fare better in the 200m as she also finished eighth in 22.87.
Ella Onojuvwevwo ran inside 51 seconds again for the fourth time this outdoor season but her 50.72 performance could only fetch her the sixth position in a race the University of Arkansas quartet of Nickisha Pryce (48.89), Kaylyn Brown (49.13), Amber Anning (49.59) and Rosey Effiong, daughter of Daniel Effiong (49.72), a former Nigeria international sprinter, dominated the first four positions.
Temitope Adeshina Profile
Temitope Simbiat Adeshina (born 11 November 1998) is a Nigerian high jumper. In 2024, she broke the national record in the high jump.
Career
In June 2022, she won the silver medal in tne high jump at the 2022 African Athletics Championships in St Pierre, Mauritius.
She won the Nigerian championship high jump title in 2022. She retained her Nigerian championship title in 2023.
She joined Texas Tech University in 2023, and competing indoors in early 2024 jumped a personal best and national record height of 1.96 metres in Texas.
At the NCAA Championship in Eugene, Oregon on 8 June 2024 she jumped a personal best, and national record, 1.97 metres to meet the Olympic 2024 qualifying standard.
| Personal information | |
| Birth name | Temitope Simbiat Adeshina |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Born | 11 November 1998 (age 25) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event | High jump |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal bests | High jump: 1.97m (Eugene, 2024) NR |
| Medal record Women’s athletics Representing Nigeria African Championships 2022 Saint Pierre High jump | |
