Jaida Ross
Birth dateOctober 29, 2001 (age 25)
Birth placeMedford, Oregon, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Oregon (BA, MEd)
Height5 ft 7 in
SportAthletics (track and field)
Event
UniversityteamOregon Ducks
TurnedproApril 2025
Highestranking
  • 6th (shot put, 2025)[1]
  • 66th (discus, 2024)[1]
Pb

Jaida Ross (/ˈdʒeɪdə/ JAY-də; born October 29, 2001)[2] is an American track and field athlete who competes in shot put and discus throw.[1] She represented the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, where she placed fourth in women's shot put, and was the 2024 NCAA Division I champion in the event. Ross was the first collegiate woman to break in shot put.[3][4]

Early life and education

Ross was born on October 29, 2001, in Medford, Oregon, to mother Amanda Krug, a mental health professional.[5][6] She has a twin sister named Jazzlyn.[7]

Ross graduated from North Medford High School in 2020, where she was one of the top throwers in the country.[8][7] She attended the University of Oregon, earning a bachelor's degree in psychology in 2024 and a master's degree in prevention science in 2025, while also competing in shot put and discus for the Oregon Ducks.[9][10][11] She hopes to follow in her mother's steps to work in a helping profession in the future.[12]

Career

2020–2025: Collegiate career & Paris Olympics

Despite the cancelation of her senior season at North Medford High School due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Ross embarked on her collegiate career at the University of Oregon, competing in shot put and discus for the Oregon Ducks starting in the 2021 season.[3]

In 2022, Ross placed fifth in shot put at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships with a throw of and 9th in discus with a throw of .[13]

In July 2023, she beat Jalani Davis to win gold in shot put at the 2023 U23 NACAC Championship with a throw of .[14]

In April 2024, Ross set a new NCAA record in the women's shot put at the Triton Invitational in La Jolla, California, with a throw of , breaking the record set by Adelaide Aquilla in 2022.[15][16] The next month, in May 2024, Ross broke her own NCAA shot put record at the 2024 NCAA Division I West First Rounds, with a throw of .[17] In doing so, she became the first collegiate woman to pass the 20-meter mark in shot put, and just the seventh woman in American history.[18]

Ross was the 2024 NCAA Division I outdoor champion in shot put, with a throw of , and placed second at the indoor championships, with a throw of .[1]

Ross came in third at U.S. Olympic Trials with a throw of , qualifying her for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, alongside teammates Chase Jackson and Raven Saunders.[1] At the Olympics, she placed fourth in shot put with a throw of .[1]

In her final NCAA competition, Ross placed second at the 2025 Division I Indoor Championships with a throw of , a personal best; Oregon was also the team champion.[19]

2025–present: Professional career

Ross turned pro in April 2025, announcing that month that she had signed with Nike.[20] She participated in her first Diamond League events that year, taking part in the Xiamen, Shanghai, and Zürich events, and placing third with a personal best of at the 2025 Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon.[21]

Ross placed fourth at the 2025 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which earned her a trip to the 2025 World Athletics Championships; USA teammate Chase Jackson placed first, but received a wildcard entry as the reigning world champion, freeing up a spot for Ross in the competition.[22] Ross placed eighth in shot put with a throw of at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan.[23]

Personal life

Growing up, Ross looked up to Olympic gold medal shot putter Michelle Carter, saying, "I love what she does for the throws world, I love what she does for the Black community."[24] Ross competed alongside Carter at the 2022 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Ross' first championships and Carter's last before retiring from competition.[24]

Competition history

All results are from World Athletics.

International competitions

2023NACAC U23 ChampionshipsSan Jose, Costa Rica1stShot put
2024Olympic GamesParis, France4thShot put
2025World ChampionshipsTokyo, Japan8thShot put

National competitions

2022USA ChampionshipsEugene, Oregon11thShot put
2023USA ChampionshipsEugene, Oregon6thShot put
2024United States Olympic TrialsEugene, Oregon3rdShot put
2025USA ChampionshipsEugene, Oregon4thShot put

NCAA competitions

2022Division I ChampionshipsEugene, Oregon5thShot put
9thDiscus
2023Division I Indoor ChampionshipsAlbuquerque, New Mexico8thShot put
Division I ChampionshipsAustin, Texas5thShot put
2024Division I Indoor ChampionshipsBoston, Massachusetts2ndShot put
Division I ChampionshipsEugene, Oregon1stShot put
14thDiscus
2025Division I Indoor ChampionshipsVirginia Beach, Virginia2ndShot put

References

  1. ^ "Jaida Ross". World Athletics. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  2. ^ "ROSS Jaida". Paris 2024 Olympics. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  3. ^ Hof-Mahoney, Paul (June 4, 2024). "Catching Up With Shot Put Collegiate Record Holder Jaida Ross". CITIUS Mag. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  4. ^ Clarke, Ross (May 24, 2024). "Medford's Ross breaks own NCAA record". Rogue Valley Times. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  5. ^ Storm, Emily (August 5, 2024). "Mom invites community to cheer on Jaida Ross". KOBI-TV NBC5. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  6. ^ Clarke, Ryan (June 25, 2024). "Seeking first Olympics bid, Ross finds her center". Rogue Valley Times. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  7. ^ Ulmer, Jerry (May 1, 2020). "Girls track: For UO-bound Ross, season was filled with promise". OSAAtoday. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  8. ^ Denney, Jarrid (June 9, 2022). "Oregon's Jaida Ross becomes All-American, places fifth in shot put at NCAA Championships". Scoop Duck. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  9. ^ Clarke, Ryan (May 24, 2024). "Oregon Ducks thrower Jaida Ross breaks own NCAA record in shot put, surpassing 20 meters". Oregon Live. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  10. ^ Elfman, Lois (2025-06-05). "Community Counts, Female Sport Scholar of the Year". Diverse: Issues In Higher Education. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
  11. ^ Henry, Kris (2025-07-08). "Medford's Jaida Ross sends powerful message with shot put exploits". Rogue Valley Times. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
  12. ^ Shontz, Lori (June 24, 2024). "Oregon's Jaida Ross in Position to 'Shake Things Up' in Women's Shot Put". DyeStat. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  13. ^ Hansen, Chris (June 5, 2022). "Oregon's Jaida Ross, Kemba Nelson shine at NCAA Track & Field Championship". The Register-Guard. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  14. ^ Boal, Erik (July 22, 2023). "Cavanaugh's Double, Brahe-Pedersen's Record, 5,000 and Shot Put Sweeps Part of 11 U.S. Golds to Open NACAC U23 Championships". DyeStat. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  15. ^ Hansen, Chris (April 7, 2024). "Oregon Duck Jaida Ross becomes women's collegiate record holder in the shot put". The Register-Guard. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  16. ^ Hansen, Chris (May 2, 2024). "Oregon shot putter Jaida Ross rises to throw farther than anyone in collegiate history". The Register-Guard. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  17. ^ Rodriguez, Kylie (May 24, 2024). "Jaida Ross Breaks NCAA Shot Put Record At West Regionals". Flo Track. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  18. ^ "Jaida Ross 1st Place Women's Shot Put - Collegiate Record 65-7.75 (20.01 m) - NCAA D1 West Outdoor Preliminary Round 2024". Dyestat. May 24, 2024. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  19. ^ "Event Index: Women Shot Put". 2025 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. March 16, 2025. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
  20. ^ @jaida_uothrows (April 20, 2025). "I’m super excited to announce that I’ve officially signed with @nikerunning…". Instagram. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  21. ^ "World records for Chebet at 5000m and Kipyegon at 1500m in Eugene". World Athletics. 5 July 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  22. ^ "USA Track & Field Championships 2025: Jonah Koech upsets Cole Hocker in 1,500". Oregon Live. Aug 2, 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
  23. ^ "World Athletics Championships, Tokyo 2025". World Athletics. 13 Sep 2025. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  24. ^ Hansen, Chris (June 28, 2024). "U.S. Olympic Trials Day 8: Oregon star Jaida Ross takes center stage in women's shot put". The Register-Guard. Retrieved August 27, 2024.