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Ashley Anumba exceptional form this season is an indicator that for the first time in history, Nigeria may be sending two Discus throwers to the World Championships.
Ashley Anumba has been in exceptional form since the 2023 season began. This time she has taken it a notch higher by attaining three significant feats in Nigerian and African Discus history.
At the Tucson Elite Classic, the University of Virginia record holder launched her Discus to a massive Personal Best (PB) of 60.97m to win the event, joining an elite list of Nigerian throwers to have thrown over the 60m mark.
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By so doing, it put her name in Nigerian and African athletics history books.
1 - Surpassing the 59m mark
In April, Anumba joined Chioma Onyekwere as the first pair of African women’s Discus throwers to throw above 59 meters in the same season since 2014 and the first pair of Nigerians to ever do it in the same season.
Then Onyekwere threw a Season's Best (SB) of 60.79m and Anumba a PB of 59.37m.
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2 - 60m milestone
Anumba's new PB of 60.97m means it is now the first time that two African women have thrown above the 60m mark in the same season, and both are Nigerians.
3 - Top three of Nigeria's best Discus throwers
Her PB propelled her as the third-best Discus thrower in Nigerian history, behind Chioma Onyekwere's African Record of 64.96m and Chinwe Okoro's distance of 61.58m set back in 2016.
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A Look into Anumba's rise in the past six months
Anumba has been on an exceptional improvement since making her Nigerian debut at the 2022 National Sports Festival in Asaba, where she stunned everyone to win the gold medal in a then PB of 59.06m. This mark became a new Festival Record, surpassing Vivian Chukwuemeka’s 16-year-old record of 50.74m set in Ijebu Ode, and smashed her former PB of 57.53m set in April 2022.
Her victory also meant she defeated the reigning Commonwealth Champion in the event, Chioma Onyekwere, who settled for the silver medal, while Commonwealth Bronze medallist Obiageri Amechi was third.
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With Anumba's progress this season, which is bound to continue, and having the World Championships qualifying standard in mind, Nigeria may have two Discus throwers in Budapest for the first time in history.
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