Nigeria’s Jessica Oji has been crowned world U20 champion in the women’s shot put, completing a remarkable turnaround just days after winning silver at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
The 19-year-old threw 18.08m to take gold at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon, on Thursday, adding a global junior title to the Commonwealth medal she won on her senior international debut.
Oji dominated the competition at Hayward Field, producing four throws beyond the 18-metre mark and finishing ahead of Ecuador’s Belsy Jenniffer Quiñonez, who claimed silver with 17.90m. Germany’s Emily Scherf took bronze with a personal best of 17.23m.
The Nigerian had already signalled her intentions during qualification, leading the field with a throw of 17.56m before improving by more than half a metre in the final.
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Her victory came only days after she competed against some of the world’s leading senior throwers at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Making her senior international debut for Nigeria, Oji produced 17.87m to claim silver behind Canada’s Sarah Mitton, who won gold with 19.88m. Jamaica’s Lloydricia Cameron completed the podium.
The two medals cap an impressive breakthrough season for the University of Pennsylvania athlete, who threw a personal best of 18.50m earlier this year.
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