Jessica Oji Crowned World U20 Champion in Historic First for Nigeria

Jessica Oji has made history as the first Nigerian to win a field-event gold medal at the World U20 Athletics Championships.

Oji, who recently claimed a silver medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, delivered a dominant performance in the women’s shot put, recording throws of 18.05m, 18.08m, 17.95m and 18.07m to secure the historic victory.

Before her triumph, Nigeria had never won a field event title at the World U20 Athletics Championships. The country’s only previous field event medals were Esther Aghatise’s silver in the women’s long jump in 2002, and Chinecherem Nnamdi’s bronze in the men’s javelin throw in 2021.

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The gold medal caps an impressive season for the young athlete and marks a breakthrough for Nigerian athletics, ending the nation’s long wait for a World U20 field-event champion.