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Chinwe Okoro

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Chinwe Okoro
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Nigeria
African Championships
Gold medal – first place 2012 Porto Novo Shot put
Gold medal – first place 2012 Porto Novo Discus throw
Gold medal – first place 2014 Marrakesh Discus throw
Silver medal – second place 2014 Marrakesh Shot put
Silver medal – second place 2016 Durban Discus throw

Chinwe Okoro (born 20 June 1989) is a Nigerian track and field athlete who competes in the shot put and the discus throw. She is a three-time African champion and holds the Nigerian record for the discus throw at 59.79 m (196 ft 1+3⁄4 in).[1]

Career

Okoro grew up in Kentucky, attending high school in Russell, and holds dual Nigerian-American citizenship. She attended the University of Louisville and combined athletics and academics as a student-athlete. She won the American junior title in the shot put in 2008 and was an NCAA All-American in 2011. Her high marks in her physical therapy studies made her a five-time Big East Conference All-Academic, and she later won the Michael Hale Scholarship to continue with her studies via a doctorate at Bellarmine University.[2][3]

Her first international competition came at the 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics, where she finished tenth in the shot put.[4] Her first senior medals followed at the 2012 African Championships in Athletics, where she won the discus throw and was runner-up to Vivian Chukwuemeka in the shot put in a Nigerian medal sweep. Chukwuemeka was later disqualified for doping, however, elevating Okoro to double throws champion at the event.[5][6][7]

Okoro missed the 2013 season but returned improved the year after and successfully defended her discus title at the 2014 African Championships in Athletics with a championship record and personal best throw of 59.79 m (196 ft 1+3⁄4 in). She was again runner-up in the shot put, with Cameroon's Auriol Dongmo Mekemnang being the women's champion on that occasion.[8][9] She represented Africa in both throws events at the 2014 IAAF Continental Cup, held a month later at the same venue in Marrakesh, and was sixth in shot put and seventh in discus.[4]

Okoro qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics with a throw of 61.58. She represented Nigeria in the discus throw and finished 14th out of 34.

Personal bests

  • Shot put: 17.39 m (57 ft 1⁄2 in) (2012)
  • Discus throw: 61.58 m (202 ft 1⁄4 in) (2016) NR

International competitions

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
2008 World Junior Championships Bydgoszcz, Poland 10th Shot put 15.18 m
2012 African Championships Porto Novo, Benin 1st Shot put 16.21 m
1st Discus throw 56.60 m
2014 African Championships Marrakesh, Morocco 2nd Shot put 16.40 m
1st Discus throw 59.79 m CR
IAAF Continental Cup Marrakesh, Morocco 6th Shot put 16.35 m
7th Discus throw 52.30 m
2016 Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 14th (q) Discus throw 58.85 m
2018 African Championships Asaba, Nigeria 2nd Discus throw 57.37 m

References

  1. ^ "Chinwe OKORO | Profile | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  2. ^ Physical therapy student Chinwe Okoro takes the discus gold in Nigerian Nationals. Bellarmine Magazine (Fall 2014). Retrieved on 2016-02-27.
  3. ^ Former Standout Chinwe Okoro Took Gold in the Discus at the 2014 African Athletics Championships. Louisville Cardinals (2014-08-26). Retrieved on 2016-02-27.
  4. ^ a b Chinwe Okoro. IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-02-27.
  5. ^ IAAF Awards Retrieved Gold To Okoro. The Tide (2013-03-15). Retrieved on 2016-02-27.
  6. ^ Burundian teen Niyonsaba takes dramatic 800m title as Nigeria top medal table in Porto-Novo – African champs, Day 5. IAAF (2012-07-02). Retrieved on 2016-02-27.
  7. ^ Milama wins first-ever sprint title for Gabon – African champs, Day 2. IAAF (2012-06-29). Retrieved on 2016-02-27.
  8. ^ Mulkeen, Jon (2014-08-12). Redemption for Makwala at African Championships. IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-02-27.
  9. ^ Mulkeen, Jon (2014-08-14). Souleiman, Ndiku and Ahoure among winners on final day of African Championships. IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-02-27.
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