EUGENE, Ore. – Purdue track & field alum Chukwuebuka Enekwechi set an African record in the shot put on July 5 at the 2025 Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Ore.
His throw of 22.10m set the record and he became the first African athlete to throw over 22m in the shot put. The previous record was 21.97m set by South Africa’s Janus Robberts on June 2, 2001.
With his record-setting throw, Enekwechi moved to No. 4 in the world this season trailing only USA’s Joe Kovacs (22.48), Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri (22.31) and USA’s Roger Steen (22.11). He is one of seven athletes to throw over 22m this season.
Enekwechi was already the Nigerian record holder in the shot put with his previous personal best 21.91m on May 25, 2024 in Eugene. He owns seven of the top 10 all-time throws by an African athlete.
He continues to work towards the 2025 World Athletics Championships that will be held in Tokyo, Japan from Sept. 13-21.
Enekwechi Sets African Record in Men's Shot Put
Brian Minutolo
Enekwechi Sets African Record in Men's Shot Put
Purdue track & field alum Chukwuebuka Enekwechi set an African record in the shot put on July 5 at the 2025 Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Ore.