Nigeria’s World Championships Facts: Can Chioma Onyekwere-Lyons Go One Spot Better and Make History in Tokyo?

In 2019, Chioma Onyekwere almost made history as the first Nigerian woman in the Discus throw event to come closest to making the final. That was in her debut at the Championships.

That year, she threw 61.38m to finish 13th in the overall classification in the qualifiers, just one spot outside the 12 that made it to the final.

In the subsequent two editions, 2022 (57.87m in Oregon) and 2023 (58.58m in Budapest), she finished 21st in the qualifiers.

Now 31, Chioma is making her fourth trip to the Worlds and will be aiming to make history as the first Nigerian woman to compete in the final of the Discus throw in World Championships history.

The USA-based Nigerian is no stranger to making history. Three years ago in Birmingham, United Kingdom, she became the first Nigerian woman to be crowned Discus throw champion in Commonwealth Games history.

She made up for the disappointment of not making the final at the World Championships in Oregon with her historic podium finish at the Commonwealth Games.

Two years ago, she hit the 64m mark (64.96m) to set a new African record in the event but failed to translate that success to the World Championships stage in Budapest.

This year, she has hit the 64m mark again (64.12m) and will be hoping to go a step further and make history once more.