TicketsCINCINNATI - Former University of Cincinnati track and field standout Annette Echikunwoke was disqualified from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) following a testing protocol error by the African Federation of Nigeria (AFN).
Echikunwoke, a first-time Olympian who celebrated her 25th birthday on Thursday, was scheduled to compete in the hammer throw on Saturday, July 31 (Sunday, August 1 in Tokyo). She was deemed ineligible to compete because the AFN did not meet the testing requirements defined by the AIU.
"I can't even begin to explain how heartbroken I am," Echikunwoke said on Instagram. "It honestly feels like a fever dream. To think of all the hours of throwing sessions, hundreds of hard lifts, all the moments when my body aches in pain and reminding myself 'it'll be worth it', just to keep pushing on, sacrificing time with loved ones.... and all I'm left with is this sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach."
Echikunwoke is currently a volunteer coach for the Bearcats and works for Empower, a national advertising agency based in Cincinnati who has supported Echikunwoke through her journey to get to Tokyo and beyond. Empower had recently created an award-winning web series around Echikunwoke, titled Grind Before You Shine.
"We are all proud of Annette and have her back," said Jim Price, CEO at Empower. "We admire her passion, grit and determination and know she'll dust herself off and hit the field stronger than ever. We'll continue to support her Olympic dreams," Price said.
The 2017 NCAA Indoor Champion in the weight throw was one of 10 Nigerian athletes affected by the AIU's ruling.
Echikunwoke broke her own African record and threw a personal best in the hammer throw when she threw 75.49 meters on May 22, 2021 in Tucson, Ariz. to meet the Olympic standard for the event. She went on to compete in the hammer event at the Nigerian national trials, where she finished in first with a 72.07 meter throw, winning her first national trials title and cementing her spot for Tokyo. She won the 2017 NCAA Indoor Track and Field title in the weight throw, becoming only the fifth individual national champion in Bearcats history.
"I am deeply disappointed and saddened to see all of these athletes deprived of their opportunity to shine at the biggest stage of their sport," head track and field coach Susan Seaton shared. "I hope this tragic event will finally effect change within the AFN and the Nigerian Olympic Committee, whose responsibility it is to have the athletes entered in appropriate testing protocols. Annette is and will remain one of the top women's hammer throwers in the world and I am extremely proud of her and all she has accomplished."
Follow Annette on Instagram.
Five former UC student-athletes - Echikunwoke, Nate Fish, Vanessa Gilles, Lewis Johnson and Jordan Thompson - are in Tokyo for the Olympics. Gilles is playing soccer for Canada, Fish will coach third base for Israel, Johnson will broadcast the track and field competition for NBC Sports and Thompson plays volleyball for the United States. Johnson is taking part in his 11th Olympic Games while Echikunwoke, Fish, Gilles and Thompson were making their first appearances.
Echikunwoke, a first-time Olympian who celebrated her 25th birthday on Thursday, was scheduled to compete in the hammer throw on Saturday, July 31 (Sunday, August 1 in Tokyo). She was deemed ineligible to compete because the AFN did not meet the testing requirements defined by the AIU.
"I can't even begin to explain how heartbroken I am," Echikunwoke said on Instagram. "It honestly feels like a fever dream. To think of all the hours of throwing sessions, hundreds of hard lifts, all the moments when my body aches in pain and reminding myself 'it'll be worth it', just to keep pushing on, sacrificing time with loved ones.... and all I'm left with is this sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach."
Echikunwoke is currently a volunteer coach for the Bearcats and works for Empower, a national advertising agency based in Cincinnati who has supported Echikunwoke through her journey to get to Tokyo and beyond. Empower had recently created an award-winning web series around Echikunwoke, titled Grind Before You Shine.
"We are all proud of Annette and have her back," said Jim Price, CEO at Empower. "We admire her passion, grit and determination and know she'll dust herself off and hit the field stronger than ever. We'll continue to support her Olympic dreams," Price said.
The 2017 NCAA Indoor Champion in the weight throw was one of 10 Nigerian athletes affected by the AIU's ruling.
"TO BE CLEAR: The African Federation of Nigeria (AFN) did not go through the processes to set up proper testing for us athletes. They left us in the dark about this whole drug testing issue until the last minute where we were left helpless. We cannot let anything like this happen again to athletes, devastating dreams and crushing opportunities." - Annette Echikunwoke
Echikunwoke broke her own African record and threw a personal best in the hammer throw when she threw 75.49 meters on May 22, 2021 in Tucson, Ariz. to meet the Olympic standard for the event. She went on to compete in the hammer event at the Nigerian national trials, where she finished in first with a 72.07 meter throw, winning her first national trials title and cementing her spot for Tokyo. She won the 2017 NCAA Indoor Track and Field title in the weight throw, becoming only the fifth individual national champion in Bearcats history.
"I am deeply disappointed and saddened to see all of these athletes deprived of their opportunity to shine at the biggest stage of their sport," head track and field coach Susan Seaton shared. "I hope this tragic event will finally effect change within the AFN and the Nigerian Olympic Committee, whose responsibility it is to have the athletes entered in appropriate testing protocols. Annette is and will remain one of the top women's hammer throwers in the world and I am extremely proud of her and all she has accomplished."
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Follow Annette on Instagram.
Five former UC student-athletes - Echikunwoke, Nate Fish, Vanessa Gilles, Lewis Johnson and Jordan Thompson - are in Tokyo for the Olympics. Gilles is playing soccer for Canada, Fish will coach third base for Israel, Johnson will broadcast the track and field competition for NBC Sports and Thompson plays volleyball for the United States. Johnson is taking part in his 11th Olympic Games while Echikunwoke, Fish, Gilles and Thompson were making their first appearances.