Desleigh Owusu

Last updated

Desleigh Owusu
Personal information
Nationality Australian
Born (2001-09-20) 20 September 2001 (age 24)
Sport
Sport Athletics
Event Triple jump
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)Triple jump: 13.86m (Bochum, 2025)
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia
Oceania Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2024 Triple jump
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2022 Mackay Triple jump
Pacific Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2023 Honiara Triple jump
Summer World University Games
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2025 Bochum Triple jump

Desleigh Owusu (born 20 September 2001) is an Australian triple jumper. She is a multiple-time national champion and the gold medal winner at the 2024 Oceania Athletics Championships. In 2025, she became the first Australian woman to compete in the triple jump at the World Championships. [1]

Contents

Career

She began competing in athletics for Werrington Athletics Club in Sydney. She became New South Wales state champion at 16 years—old. As an 18-year-old, Owusu recorded Australia’s fourth longest women’s triple jump at the 2019 under-20 Oceania Championships where she jumped 13.42 metres. She is coached by Australian triple jumper Andrew Murphy. [2] [3] [4]

She won her first national title at the 2023 Australian Athletics Championships in Brisbane and went on to represent Australia at the delayed 2021 Summer World University Games in Chengdu, China, placing sixth overall. [5] [4]

She won the gold medal at the 2024 Oceania Athletics Championships in Suva, Fiji in June 2024 with a jump of 13.45 metres. [6] That year, she retained her national title at the 2024 Australian Athletics Championships in Adelaide. [7]

She won the Australian Athletics Championships for a third time in April 2025 in Perth. [8] She was selected for the 2025 Summer World University Games in Germany, winning the bronze medal in the women's triple jump with a personal best jump of 13.86 metres (+0.9), she had also previously broken her personal best earlier in the competition. [9] [10]

In September 2025, she competed at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, without advancing to the final. [11] [12] She was the first Australian woman to compete in the triple jump at the event. [13]

Personal life

She grew up the western Sydney suburb of Blacktown and attended Blacktown Girls High School. She graduated with a bachelors degree in social science from Macquarie University in 2025. She has Ghanian heritage. [3] [2]

References

  1. "Desleigh Owusu". World Athletics. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  2. 1 2 Lane, Daniel (2 April 2025). "PASSION AND COMPASSION DRIVES OWUSU TO GREAT LENGTHS". nswis.com. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Desleigh Owusu". Olympics.com.au. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Pacific Games next up for Owusu on road to Olympic 'dream'". sbs.com.au. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  5. "Australian Athletics Championships". World Athletics. 1 April 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  6. "Oceania Athletics Championships". World Athletics. 1 June 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  7. "Australian Athletics Championships". World Athletics. 11 April 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  8. "Australian Athletics Championships". World Athletics. 11 April 2025. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  9. "GOLDEN FINAL DAY SEALS HISTORIC WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES CAMPAIGN". Athletics.com.au. 28 July 2025. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  10. "OLYMPIANS AND GLOBAL MEDALLISTS TO HEADLINE LARGEST EVER AUSTRALIAN UNIROOS ATHLETICS TEAM". Athletics.com.au. 16 May 2025. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  11. "World Athletics Championships, Tokyo 2025". World Athletics. 18 September 2025. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  12. "GREEN AND GOLD TO SHINE IN TOKYO WITH LARGEST ATHLETICS TEAM YET". Athletics.com.au. 3 September 2025. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  13. "World Championships team: Desleigh Owusu makes history". nswathletics. 3 September 2025. Retrieved 25 September 2025.