The University of Mississippi Athletics
Track & Field’s Akaoma Odeluga Wins World U20 Shot Put Gold Medal
8/30/2024 | Track and Field
LIMA, Peru – Ole Miss track & field sophomore Akaoma Odeluga wrapped up a long and successful first season with the Rebels in style, winning the gold medal for Team USA in the women's shot put at the World Athletics U20 Championships on Friday night.
Odeluga took the crown with ease, winning by nearly a full meter at her fourth-round heave of 17.34m/56-10.75. She is the first Rebel woman to ever win a World U20 title, and she becomes the fifth Rebel overall to ever win a World U20 gold alongside Antwon Hicks in 2002 (men's 110-meter hurdles, Team USA), Mike Granger in 2010 (men's 4x100-meter relay, Team USA), Jalen Miller in 2014 (men's 4x100-meter relay, Team USA) and her teammate, current junior Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan in 2022 (men's shot put, Team USA).
Friday's victory concludes an excellent first season of action for Odeluga in an Ole Miss uniform. She exploded in the outdoor season, becoming the second-best American-born U20 women's shot putter all-time, first with her SEC bronze medal performance of 18.11m/59-5 and then by her U.S. Olympic Trials preliminary performance of 18.13m/59-05.75. The only thrower ahead of her on that list is fellow Ole Miss Rebel, Raven Saunders, at her 2015 NCAA Indoor winning 18.62m/61-01.25 during her freshman season at Southern Illinois.
Odeluga also became one of the two first women's freshmen in Ole Miss history to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the shot put alongside teammate Mensi Stiff – who won the gold for Team USA at the Pan-American U20 meet last summer.
Odeluga took the crown with ease, winning by nearly a full meter at her fourth-round heave of 17.34m/56-10.75. She is the first Rebel woman to ever win a World U20 title, and she becomes the fifth Rebel overall to ever win a World U20 gold alongside Antwon Hicks in 2002 (men's 110-meter hurdles, Team USA), Mike Granger in 2010 (men's 4x100-meter relay, Team USA), Jalen Miller in 2014 (men's 4x100-meter relay, Team USA) and her teammate, current junior Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan in 2022 (men's shot put, Team USA).
Friday's victory concludes an excellent first season of action for Odeluga in an Ole Miss uniform. She exploded in the outdoor season, becoming the second-best American-born U20 women's shot putter all-time, first with her SEC bronze medal performance of 18.11m/59-5 and then by her U.S. Olympic Trials preliminary performance of 18.13m/59-05.75. The only thrower ahead of her on that list is fellow Ole Miss Rebel, Raven Saunders, at her 2015 NCAA Indoor winning 18.62m/61-01.25 during her freshman season at Southern Illinois.
Odeluga also became one of the two first women's freshmen in Ole Miss history to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the shot put alongside teammate Mensi Stiff – who won the gold for Team USA at the Pan-American U20 meet last summer.
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