In a thrilling finale at the Stade de France on Friday, August 9th, Yemisi Ogunleye of Germany captured the women’s shot put gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
With an impressive throw of 20.00m, Ogunleye secured a historic victory, becoming the first German athlete to win the event since Astrid Kumbernuss in 1996.
Ogunleye’s triumph sparked widespread celebration as she proudly wrapped herself in the German flag and rang the victory bell.
Born to a Nigerian father and a German mother, Ogunleye’s outstanding performance surprised many.
New Zealand’s Maddison-Lee Wesche earned the silver medal with a throw of 19.86m, while China’s Song Jiayuan took home the bronze with a distance of 19.32m.
Wesche seemed set for victory after achieving a personal best on her fifth attempt, but Ogunleye responded with a flawless final throw.
Interestingly, Nigeria did not have a representative in the women’s shot put, where Ogunleye claimed gold. However, the country did participate in other throwing events, with Chukwuebuka Enekwechi finishing sixth in the men’s shot put.