Princeton University Athletics
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Imani Oliver Featured in Amsterdam News
May 04, 2012 | Women's Track and Field
Brooklyn-Born Imani Oliver: Triple Jumper Excels at Princeton
Lois Elfman, Amsterdam News (5/12/12)
Growing up in Brooklyn, Imani Oliver and her family tended to watch sports that were popular in Jamaica, the country where her parents were born and raised.
"Track and field is a huge sport in our household," said Oliver, who grew up loving to run. Throughout elementary school, she often challenged other kids to race in the schoolyard and then found her way into organized track in the seventh grade. When the first high school she attended didn't have a track and field program, she transferred.
She ran the sprints, but given her long legs—she's 5-foot-8—she was also encouraged to try jumping. At Princeton University, coaches saw that she excelled in the triple jump, so that has been her No. 1 focus. She also does a bit of long jumping and runs the 100-meter as a member of the 4x100 relay team.