Enekwechi’s Diamond League Final Hopes Hang by a Thread After Silesia Setback

Chukwuebuka Enekwechi’s quest to qualify for the Diamond League Final in Zurich suffered a major blow at the Silesia Diamond League meeting in Poland, where the Nigerian shot putter finished seventh in a fiercely competitive field.

Enekwechi, who came into the event ranked sixth in the Diamond League standings — the final qualifying spot for Zurich — managed a best throw of 21.56 meters in the fourth round.

While solid, the effort was not enough to secure a comfortable position in the standings, earning him just two points and dropping him to seventh overall.

The real shake-up came courtesy of Italian Leonardo Fabbri, who entered the Silesia meet ranked ninth with five points. Fabbri unleashed a powerful 22.10m throw in the fourth round to finish second behind American Payton Otterdahl, whose 22.28m fifth-round throw clinched the win and the maximum eight points.

Fabbri’s runner-up finish earned him seven points, boosting his total to 12 and propelling him past Enekwechi into sixth place — the final qualifying spot for Zurich.

With only one qualifying meet left in Lausanne in four days, the battle for the last ticket to Zurich is now a direct showdown between the Nigerian and the Italian.

Otterdahl’s victory in Silesia all but confirms his place in the Zurich Final, while Enekwechi must now deliver a standout performance in Lausanne to reclaim his spot.

The Zurich Final, scheduled for the end of the month, is the pinnacle of the Diamond League season, and missing out would be a bitter disappointment for the African record holder, who earlier this year threw 22.10m in Eugene.