How Echikunwoke rose from Nigeria’s Tokyo disappointment to Olympics silver with US

One man’s loss is another’s gain. This saying now has a contemporary face for Nigerian sports audiences: the cute face of Annette Echikunwoke. 

Echikunwoke is a former Nigerian athlete who won a silver medal for the US in the women’s hammer throw at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

She hit the mark of 75.48 meters, placing her behind Canada’s Camryn Rogers at the Stade de France on Tuesday and became the first American to win a medal in the hammer throw.

The 28-year-old achieved the feat just a few years after dumping Nigeria for the US following an administrative oversight by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) in the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympics.

Echikunwoke was born in Ohio, US, to Nigerian parents. Despite her American citizenship, she decided to represent Nigeria early in her sporting career.

Echikunwoke said she initially chose Nigeria over the US because she felt “more connected here” and “there is much more I can bring to Nigeria and the world”.

“I really thought it was just better to represent Nigeria because I would feel more connected here. I just felt I would have more of an opportunity here and to just represent Nigeria at the highest stage would be awesome,” she told News Telegraph in 2021.

“My parents were born and raised here so why not? I am super excited to go and represent Nigeria at the highest stage in the world and show them what we are made of. I definitely have areas to improve on, but I am excited because I know there is much more I can bring to Nigeria and the world.”

She qualified to represent the country at the Tokyo Olympics after stellar performances. During one of such incredible outings, she set a new African record of 75.49 meters in women’s hammer throw.

She was in brilliant shape ahead of the Tokyo Olympics until her dream was hampered. The heartbreaking news was delivered on her 25th birthday.

Echikunwoke was among 10 Nigerian athletes disqualified from the Olympics over the country’s failure to comply with the out-of-competition testing (OCT) requirement.

“I was depressed, definitely, for a couple months after, it’s not always been easy. There’s definitely days where I’m like, ‘Why am I doing this?’” she said.

A year later, she switched allegiance to the country of her birth and qualified for the World Championships in the same year before ending up in Paris for the Olympics and achieving history.

However, Team Nigeria is still searching for its first medal at the ongoing Paris Olympics. The country’s hope rests on a few remaining events in athletics, weightlifting and wrestling.