Team Nigeria’s Jessica Oji has etched her name into history as Nigeria’s first-ever field event gold medallist at the World U20 Athletics Championships, claiming the women’s shot put title with a championship-winning throw of 18.08m in Oregon.
Fresh from winning silver at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Oji delivered a superbly consistent performance, recording throws of 18.05m, 18.08m, 17.95m and 18.07m to secure the historic victory.
Before Oji’s triumph, Nigeria had never won a field event gold medal at the World U20 Championships. The country’s only previous field event medals at the competition were Esther Aghatise’s silver in the women’s long jump in 2002 and Chinecherem Nnamdi’s bronze in the men’s javelin throw in 2021.
Oji’s victory is the latest highlight in an outstanding season and represents a watershed moment for Nigerian athletics. Beyond securing her first global title, the 18-year-old has ended Nigeria’s long wait for a World U20 field event champion, adding another landmark achievement to the nation’s athletics history.
