Nigeria’s Jessica Oji has made history by becoming the country’s first-ever field-event gold medallist at the World U20 Athletics Championships after winning the women’s shot put title in Oregon.
Oji secured the historic victory with a best throw of 18.08 metres, edging out the competition with a remarkably consistent series.
Her six throws included 18.05m, 18.08m, 17.95m and 18.07m, underlining the consistency that earned her the gold medal.
The triumph comes shortly after Oji won silver at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, adding another major achievement to an already impressive season.
Before Oji’s breakthrough, Nigeria had never won a field-event gold at the World U20 Athletics Championships.
The country had previously won just two field-event medals in the history of the competition. Esther Aghatise claimed silver in the women’s long jump in 2002, while Chinecherem Nnamdi won bronze in the men’s javelin in 2021.
Oji’s victory therefore represents a landmark moment for Nigerian athletics, ending the country’s long wait for a World U20 field-event champion.
The performance further strengthens the young athlete’s growing reputation on the international stage and adds a historic chapter to Nigeria’s record at the championships.
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