Nigerian para-athlete Goodness Nwachukwu releases the discus during the women’s F42-44/F61-64 event at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, where she established her initial world record of 36.56 metres. Photo Credit: commonwealthsports.com
Goodness Nwachukwu is simply in a class of her own. The Nigerian para athlete produced one of the performances of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Wednesday, launching the discus to an astonishing 39.66 metres with her final attempt to claim gold in the women’s F42-44/F61-64 discus throw event and rewrite the world record in the F42 category. The historic throw surpassed her previous world record by more than three metres, an improvement that tells you everything about how far she has come and how dominant she is in this event.
This is now back-to-back Commonwealth gold for Nwachukwu. She first announced herself on the Commonwealth stage at the Birmingham 2022 Games, where she broke her own world record twice on her way to winning gold in the same event, setting the world record at 36.56 metres. In Glasgow, she has gone even further. She sealed success with the world record throw of 39.66 metres in the final round, having steadily improved throughout the competition before saving her best for last.
Goodness Nwachukwu poses beside the official scoreboard showing her 39.66-metre world record throw in the women’s discus throw F64 at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, securing gold for Team Nigeria. Photo Credit: commonwealthsports.com
Nwachukwu, born on 6 October 1998, is a para athlete who competes in the discus and shot put. Competing with limited movement in her lower limbs means she must constantly adjust her balance in the throwing circle, a challenge that makes her performances even more remarkable. She has spoken about what competing at this level means to her. “Walking into the stadium and seeing thousands of people waiting to watch me compete was something I will never forget,” she said ahead of Glasgow 2026. “It brought me so much joy. Winning a medal was a big achievement for me. It opened many doors in my life.”
The victory gives Nigeria its seventh gold medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, adding to gold medals already won by Esther Nworgu, Folashade Oluwafemiayo, Riluwan Idris in para powerlifting, and Edidiong Umoafia, Onome Didih, and Rafiatu Folashade Lawal in weightlifting. Nigeria has also claimed bronze medals from Kanyinsola Ajayi in the men’s 100 metres and Temitope Adeshina in the women’s high jump. It is one of Nigeria’s strongest Commonwealth Games campaigns in recent memory, and Goodness Nwachukwu has just added the most spectacular chapter to it.
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