Former Nigerian Hammer Thrower Annette Echikunwoke Wins Olympic Medal for the United States
Annette Echikunwoke, a former Nigerian hammer thrower, has won an Olympic medal for the United States in the women’s hammer throw.
The 28-year-old secured a silver medal with a season’s best throw of 75.48 meters. She finished behind Canada’s Camryn Rodgers, who claimed gold with a throw of 76.79 meters, while China’s Jie Zhao took bronze with a throw of 74.27 meters.
Echikunwoke’s achievement comes four years after she was disqualified from the Tokyo Olympics due to administrative errors by Nigerian officials, despite not testing positive for banned substances.
Born in the US to Nigerian parents, Echikunwoke initially chose to represent Nigeria in the 2020 Olympics. However, after the Tokyo incident, she switched her allegiance to the United States.
Her decision to switch allegiance has proven fruitful, as she is now one of America’s top hammer throwers.