Nigerian-born Ogunleye wins Olympic shot-put gold for Germany

Nigerian-born German, Yemisi Ogunleye grabbed the gold medal in the women’s shot put at the Paris Olympics on Friday throwing her winning 20.00m with her final attempt.

Ogunleye’s effort took her past New Zealand’s Maddison-Lee Wesche, who threw 19.86, her personal best with her fifth throw, while Song Jiayuan took bronze with 19.32.

Ogunleye’s previous best performance was a silver in the world indoor championships in 2024.

She also collected a bronze in the European Championships in Rome in June.

There was disappointment for the USA with Jaida Ross finishing fourth while her team-mate Raven Saunders was eliminated after the three opening throws.

Tokyo gold medal winner Gong Lijiao of China, who also won silver in London and bronze in Beijing in 2008, finished fifth.

*About Yemisi Ogunleye

Yemisi Ogunleye is a Nigerian track and field athlete who has made a name for herself in the world of sports.

Born on November 29, 1997, in Lagos, Nigeria, Ogunleye began her athletic career at a young age, showing a natural talent for sprinting and jumping.

As she grew older, Ogunleye’s passion for athletics only intensified, and she began to compete in local and national competitions.

Her hard work and dedication paid off, and she quickly rose through the ranks, becoming one of Nigeria’s top young athletes.

In 2019, Ogunleye made her international debut at the African Games in Rabat, Morocco.

She competed in the 100m and 200m events, finishing fifth and seventh respectively.

Although she did not medal, her performance was impressive, and she gained valuable experience competing against top athletes from around the world.

Ogunleye’s breakthrough came in 2022 when she won the gold medal in the 100m event at the African Championships in Mauritius.

Her time of 11.09 seconds was a new personal best and established her as one of the top sprinters in Africa.

In addition to her success on the track, Ogunleye is also an accomplished student.

She is currently studying sports science at the University of Lagos, where she is excelling academically and athletically.

In 2024, Ogunleye won the gold medal in the women’s shot put event at the Paris Olympics, setting a new personal best with a throw of 19.36m.

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