Morris County native hopes to make history in women’s triple jump in Tokyo

A Morris County native may be Team USA’s best hope to make history in the 2021 Summer Olympics in the women’s triple jump event.
Keturah Orji was just three centimeters shy of an Olympic medal at the 2016 games in Rio. She finished in fourth place – the best finish by an American woman in the history of the event.
“This year, I feel like I’m the favorite and I’m expected to medal, so there’s a lot more pressure on it,” Orji says.
The 25-year-old will take another leap at the event in Tokyo. She is the current American record holder and won the Olympic trials in June to qualify for her second Olympic team.
“I feel like everything is coming together at the perfect time,” she says.
Originally a gymnast, Orji first switched to track and field when she was at Mount Olive High School.
“It's really where I discovered the sport that's now my career. I formed great relationships with my coaches, they still follow my track meets,” Orji says.
Orji graduated from Mount Olive High School in 2014 and went on to become an eight-time NCAA track and field champ at the University of Georgia.
She will now try to make history in Tokyo.
“It would just mean so much, especially for the women's triple jump because we have never had an Olympic medalist in this event. So just trying to create a path and really just set out a road for future women that want to do this event and hope to be successful in it too,” says Orji.
The women’s triple jump event will be held on Aug. 1.