Adeshina named Big 12 Athlete of the Week

Team Nigeria high jumper Temitope Adeshina was yesterday named the Big 12 Track and Field Athlete of the Week by the league office.

It was the 25-year-old’s second weekly honour in as many days as she was named the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA)

National Athlete of the Week Tuesday afternoon.

In just her second meet as a Texas Tech University (Red Raider), Adeshina became the new high jump record holder with a 1.96m clearance – the first Red Raider female athlete to clear the mark.

Adeshina’s performance tied the No. 3 NCAA all-time mark as she leads the NCAA and world rankings.

All eyes will now be on the Nigerian as she bids to become the first Nigerian woman since 2016 to compete in the high jump event at the Olympics after the woman she broke her Nigeria record, Doreen Amata.

Amata competed in three Olympic Games (2008, 2012, and 2016) but never made it to the final.

Adeshina will not only be aiming to clear her way into the final after she jumps 1.97m to secure her place in the lineup in Paris at the Olympics, but also the first Nigerian and fourth African woman to clear 2m in the event.