Obiageri Amaechi gives Nigeria eighth medal at 2022 Commonwealth Games

Obiageri Amaechi

Obiageri Amaechi has clinched a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in the women’s discus throw event.

Her victory on Tuesday, August 2 earned Nigeria her fourth bronze medal in the competition.

The California-based athlete won the bronze medal with a throw of 56.99m in her fifth attempt.

Her compatriot, Chioma Onyekwere, won gold in the category in her fourth attempt with a throw of 61.70m, taking the lead from Jade Lally who was topping the event with a throw of 57.33m.

Onyekwere, 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.

This is the first time Nigeria is producing two medalists in the discus throw event.

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.

Meanwhile, Amaechi competed at the IAAF World U20 Championships in July 2018, where she finished seventh in the discus with a best throw of 54.16 meters.

Along with all her athletic accomplishments, Amaechi is also a published poet.