Enekwechi Finishes Fifth in Madrid, Drops in 2026 World Top List to Sixth
Nigeria’s Chukwuebuka Enekwechi placed fifth at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting on Friday at the Gallur Municipal Indoor Arena in Madrid, recording a best throw of 20.38m in the third round.
The reigning African Games champion managed only three valid throws, all above the 20m mark, but fell short of the podium.
World leader Jordan Geist of the USA claimed victory with a season’s best of 22.04m, equaling his season’s best mark.
Jamaica’s Olympic medalist Rajindra Campbell followed with a new personal season’s best of 21.94m for second place, while American Roger Steen improved his season’s best from 20.30m to 21.88m, securing third and becoming the fifth man to surpass 21m this season.
Steen’s performance pushed Enekwechi down the global top list for 2026, with the Nigerian dropping from fifth to sixth.
With four more legs of the Indoor Tour Gold remaining, Enekwechi will be determined to bounce back, as the overall discipline winner earns a wildcard spot for next month’s World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, along with a $10,000 prize bonus.
The Nigerian thrower is expected to remain in Europe, with his next Indoor Gold Tour competition likely coming at the INIT Indoor Meeting in Karlsruhe, Germany, or at the Belgrade Indoor Meeting in Serbia on February 8.
