Chinwe Okoro
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Women's athletics | ||
Representing  Nigeria |
||
| African Championships | ||
 |
2012 Porto Novo | Shot put |
|
2012 Porto Novo | Discus throw |
 |
2014 Marrakesh | Shot put |
|
2014 Marrakesh | 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 13⁄4 in).
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.[1][2]
Her first international competition came at the 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics, where she finished tenth in the shot put.[3] 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.[4][5][6]
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 13⁄4 in). She was again runner-up in the shot put, with Cameroon's Auriol Dongmo Mekemnang being the women's champion on that occasion.[7][8] 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.[3]
Personal bests
- Shot put: 17.39 m (57 ft 01⁄2 in) (2012)
- Discus throw: 59.79 m (196 ft 13⁄4 in) (2014) 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 |
References
- ↑ Physical therapy student Chinwe Okoro takes the discus gold in Nigerian Nationals. Bellarmine Magazine (Fall 2014). Retrieved on 2016-02-27.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Chinwe Okoro. IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-02-27.
- ↑ IAAF Awards Retrieved Gold To Okoro. The Tide (2013-03-15). Retrieved on 2016-02-27.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Milama wins first-ever sprint title for Gabon – African champs, Day 2. IAAF (2012-06-29). Retrieved on 2016-02-27.
- ↑ Mulkeen, Jon (2014-08-12). Redemption for Makwala at African Championships. IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-02-27.
- ↑ Mulkeen, Jon (2014-08-14). Souleiman, Ndiku and Ahoure among winners on final day of African Championships. IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-02-27.
External links
- Chinwe Okoro profile at IAAF
- Interview with Athletics Africa
