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Dejanea Oakley

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Dejanea Oakley
Personal information
NationalityJamaican
Born (2004-07-04) 4 July 2004 (age 22)
Sport
SportAthletics
Event
Sprint
College teamTexas Longhorns
Georgia Bulldogs
Achievements and titles
Personal bests400m: 48.79 (2026)
Indoor
400m: 50.47 (2026) NR
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Jamaica
World Championships
Silver medal – second place2025 Tokyo4 × 400 m relay
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place2026 Glasgow400 m
Gold medal – first place2026 Glasgow4×400m Mixed
World U20 Championships
Silver medal – second place2022 Cali4x400 m relay
Pan American U20 Championships
Bronze medal – third place2023 Mayagüez400 m
Silver medal – second place2023 Mayagüez4×100 m relay

Dejanea Oakley (born 4 July 2004) is a Jamaican sprinter. She ran the Jamaican indoor national record for the 400 metres to win the 2026 NCAA Indoor Championships, that year also winning the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Championships in a record NCAA time and the gold medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

She was previously a silver medalist at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in the women's 4 × 400 metres relay, and runner-up in the 400 m at the 2025 Jamaican Championships.[1]

Biography

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Oakley attended Clarendon College in Clarendon Parish, Jamaica.[2] In 2022, Oakley won the class one title over 400 metres in a time of 51.81 seconds, at the ISSA Boys and Girls National Championships in Kingston.[3] That year, Oakley won a silver medal as part of the Jamaican women 4 × 400 m relay team at the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia. She also placed fifth in the individual 400 metres in a personal best of 52.31 seconds at the Championships. The following year, Oakley won a bronze medal in the 400m and a silver medal in the 4 x 400 metres relay at the 2023 Pan American U20 Athletics Championships in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.[4]

Oakley competed in the United States college system for the University of Texas before transferring to the University of Georgia in 2024.[5] She qualified for the final of the 2025 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships in Virginia Beach, running the 400 metres in a time of 51.85 seconds in the semi-final, before placing third in the final in 51.15 seconds.[6][7] Oakley finished second over 400 metres at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon having lowered her personal best to 50.18 seconds in the semi-final before running 49.65 in the final to finish behind Aaliyah Butler.[8][9][10] Oakley finished in second place in 50.08 seconds behind defending champion Nickisha Pryce in the final of the 400 metres at the Jamaican Athletics Championships in Kingston, Jamaica in June 2025, having previously won her semi-final in 51.15 seconds.[11][12][13] She finished fifth over 400 metres at the 2025 Prefontaine Classic on 5 July.[14] She was named in the Jamaican squad for the 2025 NACAC Championships in Nassau, The Bahamas.[15] She was also selected for the Jamaican team for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.[16] She signed a name image and likeness (NIL) contract with sportswear brand On in 2025.[4]

In February 2026, Oakley ran 51.21 seconds to place second behind Ella Onojuvwevwo in the 400 meters final at the 2026 SEC Indoor Championships.[17] Competing at the 2026 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships, she qualified for the final of the 400 metres with a run of 51.43 seconds before running a Jamaican indoor national record 50.47 seconds to win the final ahead of Madison Whyte and Onojuvwevwo.[18][19] In May, Oakley ran 48.92 for the 400 m at the SEC Outdoor Championships, three hundredths of a second behind Nickisha Pryce collegiate record.[20] In June, Oakley won the 400 metres final at the 2026 NCAA Championships, her winning time of 48.79 seconds a new NCAA record, 0.10 second faster than the previous record held by Nickisha Pryce since 2024. The time also moved her to 13th on the world all-time list.[21] On 3 July, Oakley won over 400 metres at the 2026 Prefontaine Classic.[22] On 1 August, she won the 400 metres final at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.[23] Later that day, she also won a gold medal in the mixed 4 × 400 m relay.[24]

References

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  1. ↑ "Dejeanea Oakley". World Athletics. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  2. ↑ Levy, Leighton (7 April 2022). "St Jago's Gregory Prince, Clarendon College's Dejanea Oakley the stars on a night of 400m personal bests". SportsMax. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  3. ↑ "CHAMPS 2022: Clarendon College's Oakley wins Girl's 400m in World Under-20 lead". Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  4. 1 2 Levy, Leighton (22 May 2025). "Jamaican Sprinter Dejanea Oakley Signs NIL Deal with Swiss Sportswear Brand On". SportsMax. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  5. ↑ Levy, Leighton (28 March 2025). "Dejanea Oakley Flourishing After Move to Georgia, Still Weighing 200m or 400m for Jamaica's World Championship Team". SportsMax. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  6. ↑ Levy, Leighton (14 March 2025). "Five Jamaican Women Advance to NCAA Indoor Finals in Virginia Beach". SportsMax. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  7. ↑ "NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships". World Athletics. 15 March 2025. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  8. ↑ Kahler, Theo (14 June 2025). "Results from the 2025 DI NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships". Runnersworld. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  9. ↑ "NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships". World Athletics. 11 June 2025. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  10. ↑ Fraser, Dwight (13 June 2025). "Dejanea Oakley among Jamaican winners on day two of NCCA Track and Field Championship in Eugene, Oregon". iriefm.net. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  11. ↑ Cowan, Sherdon (27 June 2025). "Pryce, Powell lead charge into 400m finals at National Champs". Sportamax. Archived from the original on 28 June 2025. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  12. ↑ "Jamaican Championships". World Athletics. 29 June 2025. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  13. ↑ Levy, Leighton (30 June 2025). "Oakley Remembers Who She Was and Storms Back to Clinch World Championship Spot". SportsMax. Archived from the original on 30 June 2025. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
  14. ↑ "Results - Eugene Diamond League - Pre Classic 2025". Watch Athletics Weekly. 5 July 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  15. ↑ Levy, Leighton (9 July 2025). "Tia Clayton Returns as Jamaica Names Powerhouse Team for NACAC Championships in Bahamas". SportsMax. Archived from the original on 3 August 2025. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  16. ↑ "JAAA names 50-member World Champs team, Thomas-Dodd opts out". Jamaica Observer. 30 August 2025. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  17. ↑ "Arkansas Men, Florida Women Hoist Trophies At SEC Indoor Championships". Runnerspace. 1 March 2026. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  18. ↑ "Shenese Walker, Tyrice Taylor ahead in their events at NCAA Indoor Championships". Jamaica Observer. 13 March 2026. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
  19. ↑ "Dejanea Oakley wins NCAA indoors 400m". Jamaica Observer. 14 March 2026. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  20. ↑ "Arkansas Men, Florida Women Celebrate SEC Team Titles". Dye Stat. 17 May 2026. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  21. ↑ "Hodge and Oakley smash collegiate records at NCAA Championships". World Athletics. 14 June 2026. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
  22. ↑ "BRANDON MILLER PRODUCES INCREDIBLE KICK TO BEAT COOPER LUTKENHAUS". Athletics Weekly. 4 July 2026. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
  23. ↑ Crumley, Euan. "MATT DENNY'S GOLDEN THROW PUTS HIM IN ELITE COMMONWEALTH COMPANY". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
  24. ↑ "XXIII Commonwealth Games". World Athletics. 1 August 2026. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
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