Temitope Adeshina focused on World Championship and Olympic dreams
Nigeria’s women’s high jump record holder, Temitope Adeshina, has revealed that her participation at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow remains uncertain despite enjoying one of the most successful seasons of her career.
The Texas Tech star recently completed a flawless NCAA campaign, finishing the season unbeaten and sweeping all available indoor and outdoor high jump titles.
Adeshina crowned her remarkable collegiate journey with a long-awaited NCAA Outdoor Championship triumph in Eugene, Oregon. After falling short in two previous attempts, the 27-year-old finally conquered the outdoor title, clearing 1.97m to secure gold and complete an outstanding season.
Yet, even with her form making her one of Nigeria’s strongest medal hopes for the Commonwealth Games, Adeshina says her immediate focus lies elsewhere.
“I am not sure if I will be competing after the NCAA season, but my sights are already on the next World Championships and the Olympics,” she told Making of Champions.
“At the next Olympics, my target is to be on the podium, and I have been working towards that.”
The ambitious target comes after a difficult outing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where she finished 19th overall and narrowly missed out on a place in the final.
Rather than dwell on that disappointment, Adeshina has responded in impressive fashion. Since breaking national records and emerging as one of Nigeria’s brightest field-event prospects, she has continued to raise her profile on the American collegiate circuit, collecting major titles and accolades along the way.
Her NCAA Outdoor Championship victory adds to a growing list of achievements that includes her first NCAA title in 2025 and her historic appearance at the Paris Olympics.
Adeshina also holds a special place in Nigerian athletics history as only the second Nigerian woman to compete in the Olympic high jump, following in the footsteps of Doreen Amata, who represented the country at the Beijing 2008 and Rio 2016 Games.
Earlier this year, her excellence on and off the field was recognised when she received Texas Tech’s prestigious International Student-Athlete Excellence Award in the women’s category at the 2026 Red & Black Gala.
While her Commonwealth Games plans remain undecided, Adeshina’s message is clear: her long-term focus is firmly fixed on challenging for medals on the biggest stages in world athletics.
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