10 Jul 2024 Harding grad student to compete in 2024 Paris Olympics

SEARCY — The Nigeria Olympic Committee has released its list of athletes competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics, and among them is Harding University graduate student Omolara Ogunmakinju.

Ogunmakinju earned First Team All-America honors for the Lady Bisons with a fourth-place finish in the 400 meters at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships, clocking a time of 52.92 seconds. She also set the school record in the outdoor 400 meters with a time of 51.90 seconds at the University of Arkansas John McDonnell Invitational in April.

In Paris, Ogunmakinju will be part of Nigeria’s mixed 4×400 meter relay team. This event involves teams composed of both male and female athletes, with each team consisting of four runners-two men and two women-each running a 400-meter leg. The order in which the runners compete is determined by the team, allowing for various strategic combinations.

The Paris Olympics will be Ogunmakinju’s third. In the 2012 London Olympics, she reached the semifinals of the 400 meters, placing 13th with a time of 51.41 seconds. Ogunmakinju also competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she placed 46th in the 400-meter heats.

Ogunmakinju ran the anchor leg for the Nigerian 4×400 meter relay team at the African Games in March. Her team won with a time of 3:27.29, more than four seconds ahead of second-place Zambia.

The first round of the 4×400 mixed relay in Paris is set for Friday, Aug. 2, at 7:10 p.m. (12:10 p.m. in Searcy). The final will take place on Saturday, Aug. 3, at 8:55 p.m. (1:55 p.m. in Searcy).

The last Harding athlete to compete in the Olympics was Hall of Famer Janet Cherobon-Bawcom, who placed 12th in the 10,000 meters at the 2012 London Olympics.