MO Alumna Heads to Third Olympics

Keturah Orji Heading to Paris for Third Olympics

June 27th, 2024

The Mount Olive School District is thrilled to announce that Keturah Orji, a proud Mount Olive alumna, is heading to Paris for her third Olympic Games. The district is incredibly proud of Orji’s achievements and her continued dedication to excellence in athletics.

Orji secured her spot in the Paris Olympics by placing second in the USA Track and Field's triple jump trials held on Saturday night in Eugene, Oregon. Her best jump of 46-8 came in her final attempt, narrowly missing first place by just 1.5 inches to Jasmine Moore.

In the preliminaries on Friday night, Orji's best jump of 45-1½ placed her third heading into the final round. At 28, Orji is the first American woman to make an Olympic triple jump final twice, having competed in both Rio and Tokyo. She finished fourth in 2016, missing a medal by only three centimeters, and placed seventh in Tokyo.

Keturah's remarkable journey in athletics began at Mount Olive High School, where she was the first female athlete to win both the triple and long jumps at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions three years in a row. She went on to make history at the University of Georgia as the first woman to win four NCAA Division I triple jump titles.

Keturah is striving to become the first American woman to win an Olympic triple jump medal. A ten-time United States champion, she has held the American outdoor record (48-11¼) since April 2021 and is currently ranked eighth in the world with a mark of 14.5 meters (47-7) achieved in February.  Keturah is currently training in Atlanta, living with her husband, former Georgia teammate Kisean Smith. She was previously bicoastal, training at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California, in preparation for the Tokyo Olympics.

The Mount Olive School District celebrates Keturah Orji’s incredible accomplishments and wishes her the best as she competes in Paris. Her dedication and success continue to inspire us all.