Canadian women’s 100m sprinting is experiencing a resurgence, led by the impressive performances of 16-year-old Jorai Oppong-Nketiah of Ottawa. On Friday, in the U20 100m women’s semifinals at the Canadian Olympic Trials, Oppong-Nketiah set a new junior national record with a blazing time of 11.38 seconds (+0.9 m/s), putting her name in the conversation for the Canadian Olympic women’s 4x100m relay team.
Oppong-Nketiah came close to bettering her new junior national record in the U20 final, clocking 11.39 seconds into a (-0.7 m/s) headwind. Despite the more challenging conditions, she dominated the final, winning by nearly half a second over competitors two to three years older.
This marks the second time Oppong-Nketiah has broken the U18 Canadian 100m record this season. She first shattered the record at the Bob Vigars Invitational in London, Ont., last month, finishing second in the women’s elite 100m with a time of 11.51 seconds, just before turning 16.
According to Ottawa Sports Pages, Oppong-Nketiah was first introduced to track and field in Grade 4 when one of her elementary school teachers, recognizing her natural speed, encouraged her to try out for the track team.
Oppong-Nketiah’s winning time at the Canadian Trials ranks as the fifth-fastest by a U18 woman in the world this year and the eighth-fastest by a Canadian female. Her achievement has sparked discussions about her potential inclusion in the Canadian Paris 2024 women’s 4x100m relay pool. She is currently guided by Athletics Canada national relay coach Glenroy Gilbert and Gordon Cave with the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club.
🚨CANADIAN U18 RECORD🚨
Jorai Oppong-Nketiah as just set a new 🇨🇦 U18 record and U20 Championship record in the heats of the 100 metres with her blazing time of 11.38 seconds!Jorai’s time also eclipses Farah Jacques’ Club record of 11.49 seconds set in 2016.
WOW WOW WOW pic.twitter.com/PPC8D2IQS3
— Ottawa Lions TFC (@OttawaLionsTFC) June 28, 2024
According to the Athletics Canada Selection Criteria for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games: “No athlete younger than 16 on December 31, 2024 (born in 2009 or later) may compete in the Olympic Games.” Oppong-Nketiah just meets this criterion, having been born in June 2008. Even if she is not selected for Paris, her talent and record-breaking performances suggest she will be a future name to watch in women’s sprinting as we turn toward the L.A. 2028 Olympics.
The 2024 Bell Canadian Olympic Track and Field Trials are taking place from June 26-30 at the Complexe Sportif Claude-Robillard in Montreal. All our action and coverage is brought to you by Canadian Running and New Balance Canada. Follow us on Twitter on Instagram for all things Canadian Olympic Trials and up-to-date exclusive news and content.
