LONDON — Former South Alabama track and field standout Ajoke Odumosu advanced out of the first round of the women’s 400-meter hurdles at the London Olympics on Sunday, reaching the Olympic semifinals for the second time in her career.
Odumosu, a native of Lagos, Nigeria, finished third in the second of five first-round heats with a time of 54.93 seconds, just off her season-best mark of 54.75. The finish earned her a spot in the semifinal round, where she is scheduled to run in the third heat on Monday, Aug. 6.
Second Olympic Semifinal
The semifinal appearance is the second of Odumosu’s Olympic career. She also reached the semifinals of the 400-meter hurdles at the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing.
Decorated Jaguar Career
Odumosu competed for South Alabama from 2004 to 2008 and won eight individual Sun Belt Conference championships. She claimed three conference titles in the outdoor 400-meter dash, three in the 400-meter hurdles and two in the indoor 400 meters.
She qualified for the NCAA championships three times and became the first female athlete in South Alabama history to earn All-America honors. In 2006 she was named to the Sun Belt Conference All-Time Outdoor Team.
Odumosu still holds South Alabama school records in the indoor and outdoor 400-meter dash, the 400-meter hurdles and the indoor 4×400-meter relay.
