Yemisi Ogunleye Claims Gold in Women’s Shot Put at Olympics

In an exciting day at the Stade de France, Yemisi Ogunleye of Germany made waves as she soared to a victory in the women’s shot put on August 9th. With a fantastic throw of 20.00m, she not only took home the gold medal but also wrapped up an incredible breakout season.

Ogunleye expressed her thrill, saying, «My goal coming into these championships was 20m. That was the distance that I threw just once in Glasgow. I knew I was capable of throwing such distances.» It’s been a remarkable journey for Ogunleye, who only began throwing beyond 19 meters in May 2023 and had never won a championship medal before this year.

As she left the Stade de France, Ogunleye had an impressive collection to boast about: an Olympic gold, two national championships, a bronze from the 2024 European Athletics Championships, and a silver from the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships.

Reflecting on her journey, she shared a moment of faith, saying, «Some time ago, I was just praying and asking God what he wants to do with the Olympic Games. And He was like, ‘We are going to get gold.’ I did not have faith at that moment, but He kept on telling me. It sounds literally crazy, but I have seen it in front of my eyes, and I really started to have faith and the confidence that it is possible.»

The competition wasn’t easy, as rain made the shot-put ring quite difficult to navigate. The USA’s Maddison-Lee Wesche initially set a mark to beat with a throw of 19.28m in the first round, but Ogunleye quickly surged ahead.

In a thrilling second round, Ogunleye threw 19.55m while Wesche followed with 19.58m. As the rounds continued, the duel intensified; Ogunleye reclaimed the lead with a throw of 19.73m, only for Wesche to push back with 19.86m.

Right when it mattered most, Ogunleye launched herself to a decisive throw of 20.00m, capturing the gold medal in front of a huge crowd of 80,000 spectators. «I’d like to think I thrive in those situations, and Yemi [Ogunleye] came out on top,» said silver medallist Wesche, while sharing her respect for Ogunleye’s performance.

On the other hand, Song Jiayuan from the People’s Republic of China couldn’t contain her joy, earning a bronze medal with a throw of 19.32m. «I feel quite emotional now. This was unexpected. I guess I was a little lucky today,» she said, mentioning how she overcame her fears on that rainy day.

She was thrilled to join Ogunleye and Wesche in celebrating a memorable day of throwing under challenging conditions, showcasing the spirit of competition at the highest level.