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Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her - Sports - Nairaland

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Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by Built2last: 9:27pm On Aug 06
The FIRST American woman to medal in Olympic hammer throw! 🥈

Annette Nneka Echikunwoke has made history.

She came to represent Nigeria in Tokyo 2020, but her dream was ruined by the body in charge of athletes. She and 12 other athletes were affected. Nigeria was not able to pay for their drug tests so they were not allowed to participate.

She switched allegiance to the USA, and today she is an Olympic silver medalist.

She didn’t allow Nigeria to kill her dream.

Congratulations NNEKA

Annette Echikunwoke, Africa’s Hammer Record Holder, Gives US Olympic Glory After Nigeria Failed Her

Annette Nneka Echikunwoke, the Nigerian-American athlete who holds the African record in the hammer throwing event, earned an Olympic silver medal for the United States on Tuesday after switching allegiance from Nigeria.

Echikunwoke had missed out on an opportunity to participate in the Tokyo Olympics hammer throwing event in 2021 because the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) had failed to conduct drug tests athletes were required to take.

On my 25th birthday, I was officially informed that I cannot compete at the Tokyo Olympics due to the negligence of the federation I was set to compete for,” Echikunwoke shared on Instagram in July 2021.

I can’t even begin to explain how heartbroken I am. It honestly feels like a fever dream. To think of all the hours of throwing sessions, hundreds of hard lifts, all the moments when my body aches in pain and reminding myself ‘it’ll be worth it’, just to keep pushing on, sacrificing time with loved ones… and all I’m left with is this sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. This has been the most mentally and emotionally exhausting time of my life.

“To be clear: The [Athletics] Federation of Nigeria did not go through the processes to set up proper testing for us athletes. They left us in the dark about this whole drug testing issue until the last minute where we were left helpless. We cannot let anything like this happen again to athletes, devastating dreams and crushing opportunities.”


She threw the hammer as far as 75.49 metres on May 22, 2021 at the USATF Throws Festival in Tucson, USA, and the attempt set a new African record.

She had provided her whereabouts to the AFN six times as requested, but no one from the federation came. Jumper Ruth Usoro, thrower Chioma Onyekwere, sprinters Chidi Okezie, Favour Ofili, Tima Godless, Yinka Ajayi, Glory Patrick, Rosemary Chukwuma and Knowledge Omovoh all shared the same fate with Echikunwoke in 2021.

Another organisational failure forced Ofili out of the women’s 100-metre sprint event in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Echikunwoke, born in the US to Nigerian parents, chose to compete for a place in the US team afterwards.

The Olympics website recognises Echikunwoke as a 2022 World Championships hammer throw finalist and the 2024 US Olympic Trials hammer throw winner.

Echikunwoke was the 2017 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Indoor Championships national weight throw champion. She held the school record in four of five throwing events she competed in while at the University of Cincinnati.

https://fij.ng/article/annette-echikunwoke-africas-hammer-record-holder-gives-us-olympic-glory-after-nigeria-failed-her/

81 Likes 11 Shares

Re: Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by Welcum: 9:34pm On Aug 06
Congrats to this black queen!

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109 Likes 6 Shares

Re: Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by EasternActivist: 6:43am On Aug 07
Congrats to her

I wonder many unsaid dreams this country has killed due to bad governance

344 Likes 27 Shares

Re: Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by Ttipsy(f): 8:06am On Aug 07
Well done

10 Likes 1 Share

Re: Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by APOPTOSIS: 8:49am On Aug 07
I pity those that still believe Nigeria will just change suddenly one day.
For any change to come into play, there must be agents of change just like we have in agents of pollination.

You can't have a country infested with too many lawless and mad people in significant number of up to 90% now and you expect sudden change.
You must be delusional.
Every sector is now compromised.
Who will salvage who?

224 Likes 20 Shares

Re: Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by Baronthecelebri: 8:51am On Aug 07
Hmmmm
Re: Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by Cmanforall: 9:19am On Aug 07
Ok

Congratulations to her



It seems the sports ministry needs a transparent leader.

I wonder why a Nigerian can't make it to 100m finals.

They should start early to hunt for sports talents

18 Likes 4 Shares

Re: Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by Nbote(m): 9:19am On Aug 07
Nigeria happened to her. Most athletes you see representing the nation at the Olympics prepared themselves with little or no support at all from the country.

124 Likes 11 Shares

Re: Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by 100millionGoal: 9:20am On Aug 07
Congratulations

14 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by christejames(m): 9:20am On Aug 07
When you have incompetent leaders at the helm what do you expect? undecided

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Re: Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by ShogunNoName: 9:20am On Aug 07
They didn't pay for her because she is igbo!!!

Make I find trouble small 🤣

40 Likes 4 Shares

Re: Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by Maj196(m): 9:20am On Aug 07
Mumu
Re: Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by chatinent: 9:20am On Aug 07
Hide your dreams from Nigeria and succeed.

- chatinent, 2024.

98 Likes 7 Shares

Re: Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by faithfull18(f): 9:21am On Aug 07
Congratulations to her, as long as she fulfills her dreams- that's what is important.

9 Likes

Re: Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by NwaliE01: 9:21am On Aug 07
Congratulations. I no wan hear Igbo Amaka.
Nigeria would have happened to her.

9 Likes

Re: Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by saddler: 9:21am On Aug 07
grin
Re: Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by Maxtipulation(m): 9:22am On Aug 07
Only to rig election steal crude oil money they know

61 Likes 9 Shares

Re: Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by Emu4life(m): 9:23am On Aug 07
Nothing Big. We have people winning Gold for us too.
Congrats to her


NB: Why are idiots crying under my mention. Y'all don't know what they call "opinion"??

123 Likes 5 Shares

Re: Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by funsho75(m): 9:23am On Aug 07
undecided
Re: Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by MadamVanessa(f): 9:23am On Aug 07
shocked


Believe in this uselèss country at your own peril and detriment. No country on earth as uselèss as Nigeria, I reiterate my statement again, no country on earth as uselèss as Nigeria.


Congratulations to you Darling. I must commend you for giving up on the zoo just immediately.

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Re: Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by oluwaseyi0: 9:23am On Aug 07
Congratulations former Nigerian

6 Likes

Re: Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by PheelzAlmighty: 9:23am On Aug 07
Nigeria is a crime scene.

20 Likes

Re: Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by MeekHeart(m): 9:24am On Aug 07
You see cool
Re: Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by Quest7777: 9:24am On Aug 07
Igbos - the unique people that thrive on Merit and Excellence. 👍

39 Likes 1 Share

Re: Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by chiagozien(m): 9:24am On Aug 07
Okay
Re: Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by ChristineC: 9:24am On Aug 07
a great feat. still a pride to her roots.
mix up in paperwork = corruption.
call the spade it's name.

2 Likes

Re: Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by Meerahbel: 9:25am On Aug 07
Congratulations

1 Like

Re: Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by Michael547(m): 9:25am On Aug 07
Wow

1 Like

Re: Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by Thrasher2024: 9:25am On Aug 07
smiley No matter your worth, you are worthless in the wrong place..

Congratulations Nwafor.. keep soaring high

29 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Annette Nneka Echikunwoke Wins Silver For USA After Nigeria Frustrated Her by ReubenE(m): 9:26am On Aug 07
I felt really bad when the commentator mentioned she initially wanted to represent Nigeria. But because of paperwork mix up, she competed for the US.
And to imagine she was in the gold medal position until the Canadian woman and the current world champion wrestled it from her in the last minute.

I really don't understand this "paperwork mixup" I always hear about Nigeria athletes abroad.
Don't know if it is a subtle way of describing corruption in our athletics

21 Likes

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