The Tribune

FORMER University of The Bahamas multi-event competitor Ken Mullings became the first athlete from the institution named to a Bahamian Olympic team. 

Mullings also is the first Bahamian to make it to a Bahamian Olympic team in any multi-event discipline. 

World Athletics confirmed worldwide athletes who qualified for the Paris Olympics this month through The World Athletics Rankings system. 

Mullings qualified for the 33rd Summer Olympics as he was ranked 21st overall. World Athletics allocated 24 spots for the Paris Games in the decathlon. 

“This is a monumental moment for UB athletics,” said UB athletics director Kimberley Rolle. “We see Ken as the first but certainly not the last from Mingoes Nation to make The Olympics. “While he got his start here at UB, Ken has been a driven professional in his athletic career and was always disciplined and that discipline and tenacity is clearly paying off with him qualifying for Paris. He has always been a humble student-athlete here at UB and we are excited that he’s become the first to carry our banner to the Olympics.”

Mingoes head track and field coach Ednal Rolle coached Mullings at UB to several world rankings in multi-events and national records. “We are excited for Ken making the Olympics,” Rolle said. “When he was here he never gave up hope on his dream of becoming a great athlete. It is clear this will not be his last Olympic Games.”

Rolle added that Mullings making the team speaks to the system at UB. “This proves that the programme is top tier and any Bahamian student-athletes aspiring to be a top athlete can come here and make top teams with top performances like other universities. There are some universities that have no Olympians and now we have the first of many.”

Mullings is the current record holder in the heptathlon with 6,340 points and is the first Bahamian to clear 6,000 points. 

In 2020, Mullings was ranked 2nd in the world in the heptathlon with 5,678 points at the Purdue Gene Edmonds Memorial Invitational. 

The Summer Olympics is set for July 26 to August 11 in Paris.