World Athletics Discus Preview: Nothing for Anumba, Amaechi and Onyekwere!

Nigeria’s is one of only two countries after the USA to register three athletes for the Discuss throw event at the Paris 2024 Olympics and perhaps the first to do so without any of the them making it to the final. This much one can infer from the event’s preview by World Athletics.

The trio of African Athletics Championships’ queen, Ashley Anumba, reigning African Games champion, Obiageri Pamela Amaechi and reigning Commonwealth Games champion and African record holder, Chioma Onyekwere will be making history in Paris as the first trio that will be competing at the Games in the Discus event for the first time ever.

The first and the last time Nigeria made an appearance in the event at the Games was in 2016 when Chinwe Okoro failed to make it out the qualifying stage.

The same fate that befell Okoro has been predicted for the trio who will feel they can spring a surprise like they did two years ago at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

Amaechi tops the African list for the event with the 63.17m lifetime best she threw in May and she is the only one that has thrown near anything that could get her into the final of the event.

The duo of Onyekwere (61.35m) and Anumba (61.00m) are second and third on the list but will need to throw farther than they have done this year to stand a chance of making it to the final.

World Athletics is predicting a tough battle for the medals that will not include the Nigerians.

USA’s defending champion Valarie Allman is seen as the one to beat following the absence of the world leader in the event, Cuba’s Yaime Perez whose throw of 73.09m in April is the farthest discus mark in the world since 1989.

Allman is second on the world list with 70.89m while China’s 2022 world gold medalist Feng Bin is third with the 67.89m she threw at the Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway.

Amaechi is ranked the 28th best in the world while Onyekwere and Anumba are ranked 39th and 44th respectively.

Nigerians believe in miracle but can they hope for one in this event? The answer will start manifesting this Friday, the second day of track and field action in Paris with the qualifying event holding inside the main bowl of the magnificent Stade de France.