Teen Sets African Shot Put Record

Jessica Oji's record-setting throw measured 18.50 meters, securing her the gold medal at the Ivy League Indoor Championships. This impressive distance not only set a new personal best but also established a new Ivy League record. Oji, an 18-year-old freshman at the University of Pennsylvania, was later named the women's Most Outstanding Field Performer of the championships. The new African record was a dramatic, last-minute achievement. Just a day before Oji's throw, South Africa's Mine de Klerk had set a new continental record of 18.48m. De Klerk had broken the long-standing record held by Nigeria's Vivian Chukwuemeka. Oji's performance reclaimed the record for Nigeria. This was only Oji's third time competing under the Nigerian flag. She had recently switched her allegiance from the United States to Nigeria in February 2026, a move sanctioned by World Athletics. Even before her official switch, Oji had shown world-class potential. In January, she recorded a throw of 18.45m in a collegiate competition, a distance that surpassed the then-existing African record but couldn't be officially recognized for Nigeria at the time. Two weeks prior to her record-breaking performance, she had already set a new Nigerian U-20 record with a 17.74m throw at the Tiger Paw Invitational.