Landmark is level 2 of 4 in the Nigeria Hall of Fame: a first that opened a door, or the pre-eminent figure of their generation in this country. See how the levels work.
Why they are here
Her long jump at Atlanta in 1996 was Nigeria's first Olympic gold in any sport, and the first won by a Black African woman in a field event.
Chioma Ajunwa was a police officer who played football for Nigeria — she was in the Super Falcons squad at the first Women's World Cup in 1991 — as well as sprinting and jumping.
At the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 she had one good jump in her, and took it on her first attempt: seven metres and twelve centimetres, a distance nobody in the field got near for the rest of the competition. It was Nigeria's first Olympic gold medal in any sport, and the first won in a field event by a Black African woman. Nigeria's footballers won the tournament gold a few days later, and Ajunwa's jump is sometimes forgotten in that, though it came first.
She continued to serve in the Nigeria Police Force, rising through the ranks, and has campaigned for better treatment of retired Nigerian athletes.
At the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 she had one good jump in her, and took it on her first attempt: seven metres and twelve centimetres, a distance nobody in the field got near for the rest of the competition. It was Nigeria's first Olympic gold medal in any sport, and the first won in a field event by a Black African woman. Nigeria's footballers won the tournament gold a few days later, and Ajunwa's jump is sometimes forgotten in that, though it came first.
She continued to serve in the Nigeria Police Force, rising through the ranks, and has campaigned for better treatment of retired Nigerian athletes.
- Olympics.com — Chioma Ajunwa
- Wikipedia — Chioma Ajunwa
- The Cable — Timeline: Maiyegun in 64, Ajunwa in 96 — all Team Nigeria's Olympics medals
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