12th June 2024
Nigerian women’s discus thrower Chiom Onyekwere looks to make a huge impression at this weekend’s NYC Grand Prix and Nigeria Trials, which hold from June 16 to 18 inside the main bowl of Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin-City following a sterling outing at the 2024 USATF New York City Grand Prix last weekend, PUNCH Sports.
The 28-year-old threw a Seasons Best of 61.35 m at Icahn Stadium to finish second behind Cuba’s Yaimé Perez, who heaved 68.31, while Jade Lally of Great Britain took the bronze with a throw of 59.30.
The Nigerian and African champion shared her delight and readiness for this weekend’s NYC Grand Prix and the Olympics Trials in a post on her Instagram page with a video of her doing what she knows to do best, stating, “Testing my balance out this weekend at the NYC Grand Prix. Finished with a season’s best of 61.35 m at Icahn Stadium. Next up are the Olympic Trials.”
Onyekwere is one of several foreign-based stars who have qualified for the Olympics but are mandated to participate in the Olympics trials by Athletes Federation of Nigeria president Tonobok Okowa, who insists the event will determine who will represent the country at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
“The athletes would be picked in accordance with their performances at the trials because it would largely determine who goes to Paris for the Olympics,” said Okowa, who lauded the athletes for their determination to succeed and made his stance clear on Monday, as reported by PUNCH Sports Extra.
“The athletes have shown commitment, determination, and desire to succeed in their careers by picking Olympic qualifications. They deserve our collective appreciation,” he said.
Onyekwere, who set her national record of 64.96 last year and has competed at three World Championships, qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo but didn’t participate, being one of the ten Nigerian athletes disqualified for not undergoing the required pre-Olympics dope tests.
