By Monica Iheakam
Nigeria may be paying for the costly negligence that had most of her promising athletes disqualified at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as Hammer record holder Annette Echikunwoke has switched alliances to the USA.
Echikunwoke, an African record holder with 75.49m, was among the 151 athletes named to represent USA on home soil at the World Athletics Championship in Oregon from July15-24,2022. The 25 year old alongside nine other Nigerian medal hopefuls, were unable to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after they were disqualified by the Athletics Integrity Unit for failing to meet the required three out-of -competition tests mandatory for Nigerian athletes at the Games and all World Athletics series after the classification of the country as a high risk doping nation in 2020.
Echikunwoke had accused the AFN of being negligent, which led to their disqualification from the Olympics, insisting that she sent her locations to the AFN six times as requested by the Federation.
The disappointed athlete has switched allegiance to her country of birth and residence, USA and her desire was granted on June 21, 2022 in accordance with rule 1.4.2 of World Athletics Eligibility rule.
Echikunwoke holds a personal season’s best of 73.76m which she threw to place third at the USATF Outdoor Championships held at the Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon last month and she has been selected as one of the four athletes that will represent Team USA in the women’s hammer throw at the World Championships.