Joe
There is a significant hope of Nigeria picking a first medal at the ongoing Paris 2024 Olympics with Chukwuebuka Enekwechi securing a spot in the men’s Shot Put final with a throw of 21.13 meters.
Competing in the second qualifying group, Enekwechi’s throw fell short of the 21.35-meter qualification standard but was sufficient to place him ninth on the 12-man qualification list. Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri led the qualifiers with a throw of 21.76 meters.
The Shot Put event continues to be dominated by the USA’s Ryan Crouser, who holds both the world and Olympic records with throws of 23.56 meters and 23.30 meters, respectively, achieved during the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021.
Meanwhile, Nigerian women fall short in Discus qualification as Chioma Onyekwere, Obiageri Amaechi, and Ashley Anumba were unable to advance to the finals.
Onyekwere’s best throw reached 60.78 meters, Anumba managed 58.83 meters, and Amaechi concluded her performance in 32nd place with a throw of 45.45 meters.
Leading the qualifications was the USA’s Valarie Allman, with an impressive throw of 69.59 meters. The world record in women’s discus, set by Germany’s Gabriele Reinsch, stands at 76.80 meters, while the Olympic record of 72.30 meters is held by Martina Hellmann, also from Germany.
