Athletics
Nigeria’s Onyekwere proves her power, in and out of the throws circle
BY MADELINE RYAN
“I am strong,” Chioma Onyekwere says before she steps into the ring. “I am powerful. I am explosive.”
It’s an affirmation for Onyekwere to prepare herself mentally during each performance. But there’s truth to it, too.
The 29-year-old Nigerian discus thrower demonstrated her strength when she broke the African record earlier this season with a 64.96m throw that surpassed the qualification standard for the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 in August.
Onyekwere has led a relentless career: as well as her area discus record she is a two-time African champion and last year she became the first Nigerian woman to win a discus title at the Commonwealth Games.
Beyond athletics, Onyekwere possesses a talent for mechanical engineering, which was her field of study in college. Moments not spent training for international competition are dedicated to her full-time work as an automotive engineer at Ford Motors.
But while her abilities in the circle stand out, her determination and leadership also warrants attention.
Two years ago, a lost opportunity lowered her hopes to the point of almost quitting the sport. But today, she speaks confidence into each attempt and sets an example for younger throwers.
“I can do this,” she says to herself now when she shakes out before competition. “And I’m capable of much more.”
Chioma Onyekwere competes at the World Athletics Championships in Doha (© Getty Images)
Questioning everything
In 2021, Onyekwere was supposed to have her year of domination. She set a PB that season, opening up the opportunity to represent Nigeria at the Olympics in Tokyo. It would be her first Olympics.
She says it felt like she was really on her way to achieving her dreams.
But she arrived in Tokyo to discover that the unthinkable had happened – she and some of her fellow Nigerian athletes were ruled ineligible to compete because the Nigerian Federation had not met the minimum drug-testing requirements for 10 of its athletes.
Classed as a “Category A” country by the Athletics Integrity Unit, Nigeria was required to ensure that at least three no-notice out-of-competition tests were conducted on each of its athletes, no less than three weeks apart in the 10 months leading up to the Olympics.
Onyekwere returned home to Michigan feeling consumed by grief so heavy, she considered never throwing again.
“It was definitely a time to stop and just question everything,” Onyekwere says.
But as she reflected, she realised that she wanted control over her own throwing career.
“I love throwing,” she adds. “And I wouldn’t want to stop this just because something else was in play and prevented me from moving forward. I would like to end it on my own terms.”
Her re-commitment to the sport was more of a process than an immediate shift. The first time she stepped foot in the ring again after a two-month break, she broke down and “started bawling.”
“I had so much anxiety about coming back to track and field, and so much anxiety about competing in general,” she says.
She spent time rediscovering what she loved so much about athletics. A self-proclaimed “math person” at heart, Onyekwere dove into the data of her progress. She keeps a journal where she records each distance, each mistake and each adjustment.
She tracks her training schedule compared to competitions or rest days, then compiles all of this data into spreadsheets she can look back on.
“I like numbers. Numbers don’t lie. And it brings out my geeky side a little bit,” Onyekwere adds with a laugh.
In addition to quantitative data, she also keeps notes on her emotions and thoughts during each throw. Tension and stress lead to messy throws. But when she’s calm and having fun, everything clicks.
She says her affirmations about strength and power are an essential part of her routine to combat in-the-ring anxiety.
“I have to calm my spirit and calm myself down before entering the circle,” she says. “And then I just get after it.”
You can have it all
Onyekwere shifted her priorities when she entered her new era as an athlete. She now wants to support the dreams of the next generation of throwers – the dreams she has for herself are a way to show them what’s possible.
She started sharing videos of her throws on social media as a resource for younger throwers.
“It’s such an honour, and it’s so sweet, to be a role model for the throwers out there. That’s one of the things that just makes you want to keep going,” Onyekwere says.
Just a few hours before competing at the Oklahoma Throws Series meeting in April, a coach approached Onyekwere at the track.
“Hey, I have this young African American girl that I coach, and she’s just so inspired by you,” Onyekwere remembers him saying. “And she really looks up to you.”
That was exactly the encouragement Onyekwere needed. At that meeting, she accomplished one of her biggest career goals when she broke the African record – previously left untouched for 16 years – with a 64.96m throw.
She realised that her accomplishments have an audience. Young throwers, and specifically female throwers, were watching to see what she’d do next.
“I’m hoping to inspire lots of young girls pursuing throwing, or to pursue anything they’re interested in. I want to tell them, ‘You can really do it all,’” Onyekwere says. “‘You can have it all.’”
She’ll be the first to say that she wasn’t the strongest thrower in college. While competing for the University of Maryland, it took her a while to break out of the 40-metre range.
But as she transitioned into her professional throwing career – while also working as a full-time engineer throughout the week – she saw rapid improvement.
Onyekwere won her first senior African Championships title in 2018, only a couple of years into the professional landscape. She then competed at the World Championships in Doha in 2019, and broke the Nigerian record in 2021 as a qualifier for the Olympics. She successfully defended her African title in 2022.
Her performance at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 didn’t go as she had hoped when she didn’t make it through to the final, finishing with a mark of 57.87m.
But she came back strong later that season to win gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
So, what’s next for Onyekwere? She’s continuing to work full time at Ford Motors. Her area record-breaking throw was more than enough to qualify her for the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, where she’ll be chasing more improvements and hopefully more records. And she has her sights set on the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Most importantly, she wants her accomplishments to be a testament to the power of African women.
“I’ve said it before, but I really want to put Africa on the map and show that we’re a force to reckon with,” Onyekwere says. “We’re capable enough to have a seat at the table. And to do great things.”
–World Athletics
The London Marathon broke the record for the highest number of finishers in a marathon, with 59,830 participants completing the course to surpass the mark of 59,226 at last year’s New York City event.
Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe shattered the world record to become the first man to run the marathon in under two hours, followed by Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, who also breached the two-hour barrier on Sunday.
“To then break the record of the largest number of finishers in the history of marathons underlines the inspirational nature of the London Marathon. We are incredibly proud to have set a new Guinness World Record,” said Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events.
In the women’s race, three women ran under two hours and 16 minutes in a single race for the first time ever, as Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa defended her title by shattering her own women ‘s-only world record
-Reuters
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Nigeria has aligned with the global athletics community in supporting World Athletics’ decision to reject 11 applications for nationality transfer to Türkiye, a move that includes sprinter Favour Ofili and signals a broader clampdown on the recruitment of foreign athletes.
Diamond League – Final – Zurich – Zurich, Switzerland – August 27, 2025 Jamaica’s Rajindra Campbell in action during the men’s shot put final REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
The ruling, announced on Thursday by World Athletics’ Nationality Review Panel, affects athletes from multiple countries and was based on findings that the applications were part of a coordinated, government-backed effort to bolster Türkiye’s international competitiveness ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Rather than a single case, Ofili’s situation forms part of a wider group that includes five Kenyan athletes — among them former marathon world record holder Brigid Kosgei — and four Jamaicans, including Olympic medallists Roje Stona and Rajindra Campbell. Russian heptathlete Sophia Yakushina was also among those denied eligibility.
Paris 2024 Olympics – Athletics – Men’s Discus Throw Victory Ceremony – Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France – August 08, 2024. Gold medallist Roje Stona of Jamaica celebrates on the podium. REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigie
London Marathon 2024 – Women’s Elite Press Conference – London, Britain – April 18, 2024 Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei poses for a photograph ahead of the London Marathon REUTERS/Peter Cziborra/File Photo
World Athletics stated that approving the applications would undermine key principles guiding the transfer of allegiance, particularly the need to maintain the integrity and credibility of national representation in global competitions.
“The panel found that the applications formed part of a coordinated recruitment strategy… to attract overseas athletes through lucrative contracts,” the governing body said.
For Nigeria, the decision is being viewed not as an isolated intervention but as part of a wider effort to protect countries that invest in developing athletes from grassroots to elite level, only to risk losing them to wealthier nations offering financial incentives.
Officials note that the rejection highlights growing concerns about the commercialisation of national allegiance in sport, where athletes are increasingly targeted through structured programmes designed to fast-track international success.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe has previously warned against such trends, stressing that nationality transfers must reflect genuine national ties rather than transactional arrangements.
The regulations governing athlete transfers were tightened in 2019 to prevent abuse and ensure fairness, following increasing cases of athletes switching allegiance under financially driven circumstances.
Although the applications were rejected, World Athletics clarified that the affected athletes — including Ofili — remain eligible to compete in one-day meetings, road races and club competitions, as well as live and train in Türkiye. However, they are barred from representing the country at major championships such as the Olympic Games and World Championships.
The decision is widely seen as a significant moment for global athletics, reinforcing the principle that national representation should be built on identity and development rather than financial inducement.
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A former president of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Chief Solomon Ogba, has commended World Athletics for rejecting the application by Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili to switch allegiance to Türkiye.
World Athletics, through its Nationality Review Panel, on Thursday turned down Ofili’s request to represent the European nation, citing concerns over the integrity of international competitions and the growing trend of athlete recruitment driven by financial incentives.
Reacting to the decision, Ogba described the ruling as a victory for fairness and a strong message in defence of developing nations that invest heavily in nurturing athletic talent.
“This is justice not just for Nigeria but for many developing countries that work tirelessly to groom athletes, only for them to be lured away by wealthier nations,” Ogba said.
The panel, in its report, noted that granting the transfer would undermine key principles, including safeguarding the credibility of national representation and discouraging the systematic recruitment of foreign athletes for global competitions.
Ofili’s case was one of 11 applications submitted by the Turkish Athletics Federation, which World Athletics linked to a broader government-backed strategy to strengthen its team ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Despite having obtained Turkish citizenship and signing a lucrative club contract, Ofili remains ineligible to compete for Türkiye in major competitions such as the World Championships and the Olympic Games.
Ogba singled out World Athletics President Sebastian Coe for praise, describing him as a consistent ally of developing countries.
“How can a country nurture an athlete from grassroots level to elite status, only for another nation that showed no prior interest to come with financial inducements and take them away? It is unfair and must be discouraged,” he said.
The former AFN boss also advised athletes to remain focused and avoid making career decisions driven solely by short-term financial gains. He cited global stars such as Usain Bolt, Julien Alfred, and Eliud Kipchoge, who achieved success while representing their home countries.
Ogba further warned athletes against external pressures from managers and associates, urging them to consider the long-term implications of switching nationality.
“Many athletes who left Nigeria often return after retirement seeking support. The reality is that your home country offers opportunities beyond competition — as coaches, administrators, and mentors,” he added.
He concluded by urging Nigerian athletes to remain loyal and committed, stressing that while opportunities abroad may appear attractive, long-term security and identity remain tied to their country of origin.
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