Ayden Owens-Delerme

Ayden Owens-Delerme (born 28 May 2000) is a Stateside Puerto Rican decathlete. He won a silver medal at the 2025 World Athletics Championships.

Early life Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Owens-Delerme was first recognised as a multi-sport athlete at statewide athletic powerhouse North Allegheny in suburban Wexford. Michael Owens, Ayden Owens-Delerme's father, captained the 1980 basketball team at the University of Virginia.

High school Owens-Delerme was the 2018 PIAA state champion in the 110 meters hurdles, 300 meters hurdles, and 200 meters dash. Additionally, he finished second in the long jump. By winning three events and finishing second in another, he single-handedly won the state title for North Allegheny.

Owens-Delerme was a four-time New Balance National All-American, won the 2018 New Balance indoor 60-meter hurdles title with a state-record time of 7.59, and decathlon champion at the 2017 New Balance Nationals Outdoor. These accomplishments made him the 2018 Gatorade Pennsylvania Men's Track and Field Athlete of the Year. Owens-Delerme concluded his prep career ranked in the Top 10 nationally in seven different track events.

NCAA Owens-Delerme first attended the University of Southern California, where he was named 2019 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. He then transferred to the University of Michigan, where he earned the 2021 Big Ten Field Athlete of the Year Award, before transferring to the University of Arkansas, for whom he won the 2022 NCAA championship decathlon, following which he was named the 2022 SEC Field Athlete of the Year. Owens-Delerme graduated from the University of Michigan in 2021 and the University of Arkansas in 2023.

Owens-Delerme finished his collegiate career as a 9-time All-American, 3-time NCAA Champion, 2-time Southeastern Conference Champion, 1-time Big Ten Conference Champion, 1-time Pac-12 Conference Champion, and 17-time All-Conference finalist.

Professional career Despite being born and raised in Pennsylvania, Owens-Delerme represents the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico on the international stage, as his family on his mother's side are Puerto Rican, and he visited the island yearly in his childhood.

Competing at the 2022 World Athletics Championships decathlon in Eugene, Oregon, Owens-Delerme was placed third overall after the 100 metres, shot put and long jump events and took the lead overnight after a personal best 45.07 in the 400m. After subpar second-day performances in the javelin and pole vault, he fell behind eventual champion Kevin Mayer and others, eventually finishing 4th.

He competed in Paris at the 2024 Summer Olympics in the decathlon, finishing in ninth place after winning the decathlon at Mt. SAC Relays and setting a Central American and Caribbean record, scoring 8,732 points.

He finished seventh at the Hypo-Meeting in Götzis on 1 June 2025 with a tally of 8,486 points, setting a meeting record time for the 400 metres. He won the 2025 Décastar decathlon in Talence, France, scoring 8,478 points.

Owens-Delerme won a silver medal at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, setting a new national record of 8,784 points, becoming the third Puerto Rican after Javier Culson and Jasmine Camacho-Quinn to win a world championship medal. He also placed third overall in the season-long World Athletics Combined Events Tour for 2025.

Competition record

Collegiate

International

Personal bests Information from World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.

Outdoor

+Individual events Event Performance Location Date 200 meters 20.88 Fayetteville April 21, 2023 300 meters 36.68 Shippensburg May 26, 2018 400 meters 46.39 Kortrijk July 13, 2024 110 meters hurdles 13.59 Fayetteville June 23, 2023 13.57 Fayetteville June 23, 2023 400 meters hurdles 48.26 Baton Rouge May 13, 2023 Long jump Shippensburg May 25, 2018 Pole vault Champaign May 2, 2025 Discus throw Champaign May 2, 2025 Javelin throw Gainesville April 18, 2025

+Combined events Event Performance Location Date Score Decathlon Tokyo September 20–21, 2025 8,784 points 100 meters 10.27 Walnut April 13, 2022 1,030 points Long jump Paris August 2, 2024 975 points Shot put Walnut April 17, 2024 867 points High jump Paris August 2, 2024 822 points 400 meters 45.07NR Eugene July 23, 2022 1,056 points 110 meters hurdles 13.73 Walnut April 18, 2024 1,010 points Discus throw Eugene June 9, 2022 793 points Pole vault Walnut April 18, 2024 941 points Javelin throw Walnut April 18, 2024 727 points 1500 meters 4:13.02 Eugene July 24, 2022 860 points Virtual Best Performance 9,081 points

Indoor

+Individual events Event Performance Location Date 60 meters 6.89 Bloomington January 23, 2021 60 meters hurdles 7.71 NR Albuquerque February 4, 2023 Long jump Seattle February 22, 2019 High jump Albuquerque January 18, 2019 Pole vault Fayetteville January 14, 2022 Shot put Bloomington January 23, 2021

+Combined events Event Performance Location Date Score Heptathlon Albuquerque March 10–11, 2023 6,518 points 60 meters 6.75 Birmingham March 8, 2019 973 points Long jump Albuquerque March 10, 2023 1,015 points Shot put Albuquerque March 10, 2023 806 points High jump Fayetteville January 28, 2022 840 points 60 meters hurdles 7.73 Albuquerque March 11, 2023 1,056 points Pole vault Albuquerque March 11, 2023 898 points 1000 meters 2:31.55 Albuquerque March 11, 2023 970 points Virtual Best Performance 6,553 points