Former North Allegheny track star Ayden Owens-Delerme locked in as he prepares for Paris Olympics

North Allegheny graduate Ayden Owens-Delerme will be representing Puerto Rico in the Summer Olympics in France.

And he’ll be doing so in one of the marquee events of the games.

Owens-Delerme will compete in the decathlon, which means he takes part in 10 events over a two-day period. Day 1 includes the 100 meter-dash, long jump, shot put, high jump and 400-meter run. On the second day, he will participate in the 110-meter hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw and 1,500-meter run.

The pressure of competing in the Olympics can be a lot for any athlete, but Owens-Delerme said he is locked in on his training. He said he goes through a four-hour morning practice and another four hours in the afternoon, mostly on his own.

Owens-Delerme said his focus stays single minded and sharp as he trains.

“When you train well, it’s not as bad,” he said. “I try to maintain focus throughout.”

Although he may be competing in 10 events in two days, Owens-Delerme does have his favorites.

“The 400 meters is my best event, but in terms of (my) favorite, I really like pole vault,” he said.

Owens-Delerme is one of eight kids in his family, and track has been a huge part of his life. He started by competing with the Adire Track Club after his other siblings did the same before him. He was coached by Oronde Sharif, now a Point Park University assistant coach.

John Neff, Owens-Delerme’s high school coach at North Allegheny, reflected on the perseverance he showed during his time there.

“We knew he was special,” Neff said. “He was such a versatile athlete who wanted to try anything and everything.”

After high school, Owens-Delerme made stops at universities across the country.

Before heading to Arkansas for his final collegiate season, Owens-Delerme was a member of the track teams at both USC and Michigan. His time at Michigan was the shortest due to multiple injuries he faced during that time. He got his MBA from Arkansas this past spring.

In the Olympics this summer, Ayden will be competing under the Puerto Rican flag. He will be doing so because Puerto Rico is where his mom grew up before she moved to the United States.

Puerto Rico has never had a male athlete win a gold medal in the Olympics, and Owens-Delerme has the chance to be the first.

“I’m really excited, especially to compete for my mom’s home country as well,” he said.

Puerto Rico also will be one of the least-represented countries in France. Owens-Delerme said it is him and one other female athlete competing in the track events.

The country will only have 23 total athletes representing, and 12 of those 23 are on the women’s basketball team.

Owens-Delerme qualified for the Olympics with a personal best score of 8,732 at the Mt. SAC Relays in April. It was the top score in the world in 2024.