Adaobi Tabugbo

Tabugbo was born on October 3, 2001, and was raised in Laurel, Maryland, United States.^[2] She attended the Reservoir High School, Brigham Young University^[3][4] and the University of Central Florida.^[5][6] She has five brothers.^[3][7]

Tabugbo is a fluent speaker of the Igbo language and competes internationally for Nigeria.^[2]

In June 2024 at the 2024 African Championships in Athletics in Douala, Cameroon, Tabugbo finished fifth in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.47 seconds. She was also a member of the Nigerian 4x100-meter relay team in the heat stage, contributing to their gold medal win in the final race.^[8] At the Nigeria Olympic trials in the same month, Tabugbo came second in the women's 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.33 seconds, finishing behind Tobi Amusan who went on to compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.^[9][10]

In January 2025 at the Stan Scott Invite in Lubbock, Texas, Tabugbo won the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.06 seconds, ranking in the top 10 times in the nation that year.^[11]

In March 2025 at the Big 12 Indoor Championships in Texas, United States,^[12] Tabugbo broke the 8-second barrier in the women's 60-meter hurdles, set a new personal best and won a silver medal in the event.^[13][14] She also ran with the Florida Knights 4x100-meter women's relay team, with the team win bronze.^[15] The event earned Tabugbo a place at the 2025 National Collegiate Athletic Association Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon,^[16] where she placed 12th in the preliminary round of the Championships with a time of 13.08 seconds.^[5]

In May 2025 at the East Coast Relays at the University of North Florida, in Jacksonville, Florida, Tabugbo won her 100-meter hurdles heat with a time of 13.06 seconds, then came third in the final with a time of 13.08 seconds.^[17][18]

In July 2025 at the Ed Murphey Classic in Memphis, Tennessee, Tabugbo recorded a time of 12.93 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles.^[19]

In August 2025 at the Grande Prêmio Brasil de Atletismo in São Paulo, Brazil, Tabugbo won the women's 100-meter hurdles with a time of 12.90 seconds.^[20][21] Tabugbo also competed at the Athletics Federation of Nigeria National Championships in Lagos, Nigeria, in 2025.^[6] She came second with a time of 13.03 seconds.^[22]

In November 2025, Tabugbo was among elite athletes who called on the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) to prioritize funding for climate adaptation.^[23] Tabugbo is training towards the 2028 Summer Olympics.^[24]

• Adaobi Tabugbo at Athletic.net
• Adaobi Tabugbo on Instagram
• Adaobi Tabugbo at Track and Field Reporting System
• Adaobi Tabugbo on Twitter
• Adaobi Tabugbo at World Athletics