Abbeville native and former Oxford Charger Shelby McEwen leads all qualifiers heading into the U.S. Olympic’s men’s high jump finals at noon on Saturday in Paris.

On Wednesday, McEwen cleared 2.27m to qualify to move onto the finals this weekend. There, he will compete for a medal.

He is the only American left competing in the high jump.

McEwen’s athletic career started at Oxford High School, where he balanced basketball and track from 2013-2015. After graduating in 2015, he went to Northwest Mississippi Community College where he excelled in track and basketball.

The son of Michael and Sharon McEwen, he received a scholarship to the University of Alabama from 2017-19 where he continued to earn numerous All-American and All-SEC accolades.

At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, McEwen finished 12th overall in the high jump.

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Shelby McEwen is PUMPED UP after clearing 2.27m! 😤 #ParisOlympics 📺 USA Network and Peacock

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