African Games champion, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, has set a new indoor African record in shot put and also beat the Paris 2024 Olympics qualifying mark after landing a massive 21.63m at the Hvězdy V Nehvizdech meeting in Czech Republic on Tuesday, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
He broke the 13-year-old African indoor record of 21.47m, which was set by Janus Roberts of South Africa in 2001.
He finished second in the event behind New Zealand’s Tom Walsh who reached a mark of 21.96m.
It was also a new personal best for Enekwechi, who produced his best in the event by going over 21m on every attempt. His previous best output was 21.80m, which he posted at Schifflange, Luxembourg in 2019.
His first was 21.32m and he followed it with the African record in his second attempt with a massive throw of 21.63m. He then produced 21 57m and 21.52m before landing 21.11m in his final attempt.
Last year, the 31-year-old won his fourth national title with a throw of 21.09m at the Athletics Federation of Nigeria trials for the World Championships in Budapest.
He won his first national title in 2016 and added consecutive titles from 2021 to 2023.
Nigeria’s hope of having the African Games champion defend his title in Ghana next month is, however, hanging in the balance, as the AFN has set out with trials for home-based athletes in anticipation of the absence of some overseas-based stars like Enekwechi.
The African Games hold from March 8 to 23 in Ghana.
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