Yemisi Ogunleye Triumphs in Women’s Shot Put at Paris 2024
Germany’s Yemisi Ogunleye achieved a remarkable victory in the women’s shot put at Stade de France, clinching the gold medal with a throw of 20.00 meters. This performance capped off an extraordinary breakout season for Ogunleye.
Ogunleye, who had never thrown 19 meters before May 2023 and had yet to win a major championship medal prior to February 2024, delivered a career-best performance to secure the Olympic title. Reflecting on her achievement, she said, “My goal coming into these championships was 20m. I knew I was capable of throwing such distances. In the Olympic competitions, it is necessary to bring all the best you have because you only have this chance once.”
The road to victory was not without challenges. The shot put ring at Stade de France was rain-soaked, adding an extra layer of difficulty. Early leader Jaida Ross of the USA set the mark with a throw of 19.28 meters. However, Ogunleye and New Zealand’s Maddison-Lee Wesche soon surpassed Ross, with Ogunleye reaching 19.55 meters and Wesche 19.58 meters.
In a gripping contest, Ogunleye regained the lead with a throw of 19.73 meters in the fifth round, only to be overtaken by Wesche’s 19.86 meters. The decisive moment came in Ogunleye’s final throw, a stunning 20.00 meters that secured her the gold medal in front of 80,000 spectators.
Wesche, who ultimately finished with the silver, praised Ogunleye’s performance: “Just the better athlete on the day, but I’m happy with what I got. I pride myself on being calm and collected, and despite the huge stands and the amount of people, I just try to keep my normalness.”
Song Jiayuan of China added a bronze medal to her collection with a fourth-round throw of 19.32 meters, overcoming Ross’s early mark. Song expressed her delight: “I feel quite emotional now. This was unexpected. I guess I was a little lucky today.”
Ogunleye’s gold marks a significant milestone in her career and for German athletics, highlighting her impressive journey from relative obscurity to Olympic champion.
