Courtney Okolo

Courtney Okolo (born March 15, 1994) is an American track and field sprinter who usually competes in the 400 metres. She starred at Carrollton (Texas) Newman Smith High School where she won multiple individual state championships.

Courtney Okolo
Okolo in 2017
Personal information
NationalityAmerican
Born (1994-03-15) March 15, 1994
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Height5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight130 lb (59 kg)
Sport
CountryUnited States
SportTrack and field
Event(s)400 metres
Medal record
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place2016 Rio de Janeiro4×400 m relay
World Championships
Gold medal – first place2019 Doha4×400 m relay
Gold medal – first place2019 Doha4×400 m mixed
World Indoor Championships
Gold medal – first place2016 Portland4×400 m relay
Gold medal – first place2018 Birmingham400 m
Gold medal – first place2018 Birmingham4×400 m relay
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place2019 Lima4×400 m relay
Bronze medal – third place2019 Lima400 m
NACAC Championships
Gold medal – first place2018 Toronto 4×400 m relay
Pan American Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place2013 Medellín4×400 m relay
Gold medal – first place2013 Medellín400 m

In college, she ran for the Texas Longhorns.[1] She was fourth in the 400 m at the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Championships, and then the following year she completed an individual and relay double at the 2014 NCAA Outdoor Championships. She set a collegiate record in the 400 m that year when winning the Big 12 Outdoor Championships in 50.03 seconds.[2] In April 2016, she broke her own collegiate record, running 49.71 seconds at the LSU Alumni Gold Meet. Okolo won consecutive titles in the women's 400 m and 4 × 400 m relay at the 2015 NCAA Indoor Championships. In 2016 Okolo won 400m and 4 × 400 m relay titles in both the Indoor and 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships. After the season ended, she was awarded the Bowerman Award.[3] She also won the Honda Sports Award as the nation's best female track and field competitor in 2016.[4][5]

Internationally she won both individual and relay events for the United States at the 2013 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships and the 2015 NACAC Championships in Athletics. More gold came in the 4 × 400 m relay at the 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships[6] and 2016 Olympic Games.[7]

Personal records

International competitions
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
2013 Pan American Junior Championships Medellín, Colombia 1st 400 m 52.19
1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:36.48
2015 NACAC Championships San José, Costa Rica 1st 400 m 51.57
1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:25.39
2016 World Indoor Championships Portland, United States 1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:26.38
Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:19.06
2017 DécaNation Angers, France 1st 200 m 23.41
1st 400 m 51.96
2018 World Indoor Championships Birmingham, United Kingdom 1st 400 m 50.55
1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:23.85
NACAC Championships Toronto, Canada 4th 400 m 52.21
1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:26.08
2019 World Relays Yokohama, Japan 2nd 4 × 400 m relay 3:27.65
Pan American Games Lima, Peru 3rd 400 m 51.22
1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:26.46
World Championships Doha, Qatar 1st (h) 4 × 400 m relay 3:22.96

National titles

References
  1. "Texas sprinter Courtney Okolo honored by USTFCCCA". Hookem.com. February 9, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  2. "Courtney Okolo, Texas Sophomore, Sets New NCAA 400 Record of 50.03 at Big 12 Meet". LetsRun.com. May 19, 2014. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  3. "Courtney Okolo Wins The Bowerman Award ::: The Bowerman: The Nation's Top Award for Collegiate Track & Field Athletes". The Bowerman. Retrieved March 9, 2017.
  4. "Texas' Courtney Okolo Named Honda Award Winner For Track & Field ::: USTFCCCA". Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  5. "Okolo From the University of Texas Named the Honda Sport Award Winner for Track & Field". CWSA. June 16, 2016. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  6. "American women's 4x400 team wins gold at 2016 World Indoor Championships". OregonLive.com. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  7. Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics
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