Chioma Onyekwere has won a gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in the women’s discus throw event.
Her victory on Tuesday, August 2 earned Nigeria her third gold medal in the competition.
In Onyekwere’s fourth attempt to take the lead from Jade Lally who was leading with a throw of 57.33m, the 28-year-old threw the discus to a distance of 61.70.
The Nigerian who opened with 55.82m knew she needed more than the 58.19m she threw to win the African Championships gold last June in Mauritius.
She responded without success in the second round with a 56.42m effort, fouled the third attempt before swinging the discus to a personal season’s best mark of 61.70m, her second best career mark after the 63.30m personal best she threw last year at the CVEATC, Chula Vista in California, USA.
The reigning All African Games and African Championships champion became the first Nigerian woman to win the Commonwealth Games Gold in the Discus throw event.
Adewale Olukoju was the first Nigerian man to win gold in the discus throw in the history of Commonwealth Games.
Olukoju threw 62.62m to win in Aukcland in 1990.
On Tuesday, another Nigerian Obiageri Amechi clinched the bronze medal with a throw of 56.99m in her fifth attempt.
Nigeria has produced two medalists in the discus throw event for the first time.
At the time of filing this report, Nigeria sits in 10th position on the medals table with 8 medals. Australia tops the chart with 106 medals, followed by England with 86. New Zealand completes the top three with 26 medals. South Africa is currently the best performing African nation at the games with 16 medals.
