Jessica Oji has become Nigeria’s first-ever field-event gold medallist at the World U20 Athletics Championships, winning the women’s shot put title with a throw of 18.08m in Oregon.
Oji, who recently claimed silver at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, delivered a consistent series throughout the final, recording 18.05m, 18.08m, 17.95m and 18.07m to secure victory.
The win is historic for Nigeria, which had never previously won a field event title at the championships. Before Oji’s triumph, the country had claimed only two field event medals in the competition’s history — 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.
The gold caps an impressive season for Oji and marks a breakthrough moment for Nigerian athletics, ending the country’s long wait for a field event champion at the World U20 Championships.
