Paris Olympics: Ogunleye wins gold for Germany — third Nigerian-born medalist in athletics

Yemisi Ogunleye has won gold in the women’s shot put event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

The 25-year-old saved the best for last, throwing 20 meters, a dream distance unmatched by the strong field of finalists at the Stade de France on Friday.

New Zealand’s Maddison-Lee Wesche had to settle for second, while Song Jiayuan took the bronze medal.

With her victory, Ogunleye made history as the first German to win the shot put event in 28 years – since the Atlanta 1996 Olympics.

Ogunleye was born in Mannheim, Germany, to a native mother and a Nigerian father who hailed from Ekiti.

She started as a ballet dancer and gymnast but suffered cruciate ligament injuries, cartilage damage, and a meniscus tear.

She switched to athletics at 13 years old, but injuries struck. Undeterred in her ambition for success, Ogunleye turned to MTG Mannheim, her local sports club, where she specialized as a shot-putter. However, another cruciate ligament injury derailed her dream.

Ogunleye is also the third athlete of Nigerian heritage to win an athletics medal in Paris, but the only gold medalist.

Annette Echikunwoke won silver for the US in the women’s hammer throw, and Salwa Naser also took silver for Bahrain in the women’s 400m race.

However, the Nigerian contingent is besieged by poor administrative decisions, uninspiring performances, shocking setbacks, and disqualification, and it looks set to end the 2024 Olympics without a medal for the first time since London 2012.