Paris 2024 athletics: All results, as Germany's Yemisi Ogunleye claims victory in women’s shot put
Germany's Yemisi Ogunleye let her shot put fly at Stade de France on Friday, 9 August, claiming victory in the women’s shot put at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Her throw of 20.00m was enough to claim the gold medal, offering a fairy-tale conclusion to her breakout season.
“My goal coming into these championships was 20m,” said Ogunyele. “That was the distance that I threw just once in Glasgow. I knew I was capable of throwing such distances.
“In the Olympic competitions, it is necessary to bring all the best you have because you only have this chance once.”
Ogunyele had never thrown 19 metres before May 2023. She had never even won a national, European or world championship medal before February 2024.
Yet, she left Stade de France as an Olympic champion, with two national championships, a bronze medal at the 2024 European Athletics Championships and a silver medal at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships to her name.
"Some time ago, I was just praying and asking God what he wants to do with the Olympic Games. And He was like, 'We are going to get gold,' " said Ogunyele. "I did not have faith at that moment. But He kept on telling me. It sounds literally crazy, but I have seen it in front of my eyes, and I really started to have faith and the confidence that it is possible.”
It certainly wasn’t an easy road to victory, as the women’s shot-put finalists had to overcome a rain-soaked shot-put ring at Stade de France.
The USA’s Jaida Ross set the early mark to beat in the soggy conditions, heaving the shot put 19.28m in the first round of throws. Her mark wouldn’t hold for long, however, as both Ogunyele and New Zealand’s Maddison-Lee Wesche launched the shot put farther during the second round of throws.
Ogunyele propelled herself to a mark of 19.55m while Wesche posted a throw of 19.58m.
Neither improved their mark in the third round of throws, setting up a compelling duel heading into the second half of the competition.
Ogunyele would retake the lead, throwing 19.73m in the fifth round of the throws. Wesche responded quickly, throwing 19.86m to place herself back atop the standings.
It was Ogunyele’s final throw of 20.00m that proved decisive, snagging her the gold medal in front of 80,000 spectators at Stade de France.
“I’d like to think I thrive in those situations and Yemi [Ogunyele] came out on top,” said silver medallist Wesche. “Just the better athlete on the day, but I’m happy with what I got.
“I pride myself on being calm and collected. Coming to Games like this, it throws it off a little with the huge stands and the amount of people. But I just try to keep my normalness and this is just super exciting."
Song Jiayuan of the People's Republic of China was also excited after earning a bronze medal with her fourth throw of 19.32m, which was enough to pass Ross’s mark of 19.28m from the first round.
“I feel quite emotional now,” said a joyous Song. “This was unexpected. I guess I was a little lucky today.
“After it rained I adjusted myself. With my technique, I couldn’t help but feel a little afraid of throwing in the rain. I just took it one shot at a time, [and] faced my fear one shot at a time.”
She joined Ogunyele and Wesche in celebrating a remarkable day of throwing in difficult conditions at Stade de France.
Athletics: Women’s shot put podium
Gold: Yemisi Ogunleye, GER
Silver: Maddison-Lee Wesche, NZL
Bronze: Song Jiayuan, CHN
See all the results on Olympics.com.