Former Purdue Thrower Chukwuebuka Enekewechi Qualifies for Tokyo Olympics

Next summer is going to be a busy one for former Purdue athletes. Steele Johnson and David Boudia are expected to qualify as divers for the 2020 Summer Oluympics in Tokyo. Jon Octeus and Robbie Hummel could represent the US in 3x3 basketball. Amanda Elmore has a shot at defending her gold medal in rowing. Kara Winger is expected to be back as a javelin thrower, while Carmiesha Cox can represent the Bahamas as a runner. The first Purdue Olympian is already clinched for 2020 as Chukwuebuka Enekewechi qualified for his first ever Olympics this weekend. He will represent Nigeria in the shot put:

Enekwechi, set things rolling with a big 21.26m to finish 2nd behind Michal Haratyk, who equalled his National Record (NR) of 22.32m, at the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial in Cetniewo, Poland.

The African Champion thus qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, having surpassed the 21.10m qualifying standard.

Though he had thrown farther with his PB of 21.77m at the IAAF World Challenge in Brazil back in April, it ironically was done just few days before the opening of the Olympic qualification window.

Enekwechi had a fantastic career at Purdue. He was runner-up in the shot put at the 2016 NCAA Championships and finished 6th in the hammer throw. He twice won Big Ten championships in the hammer throw. He is the reigning African champion and now holds the Nigerian national record with a throw this year of 21.77 meters. That throw would have been enough to win bronze in the 2016 games and be just one centimeter short of the silver medal throw, so he has a great chance to medal next summer.