ajunwa chioma opara chieftaincy ngr yaba drechsler afn iaaf.org anum nwaiwu okagbare academicals odegbami bartoletta elżbieta ahiazu gyarmati rosendahl lebedeva 4x100 joëlle tianna viorica stanciu nigerians largesse sportswoman rou tatyana
first nigerian to win an olympic gold medal
Chioma Ajunwa - wikipedia Chioma Ajunwa Jump to : navigation , search Chioma Ajunwa <Th_colspan="2"> ( 1970 - 12 - 25 ) 25 December 1970 ( age 46 ) Umuihiokwu , Nigeria <Th_colspan="2"> <Th_colspan="2"> Medal record ( hide ) Chioma Ajunwa <Th_colspan="3"> Medal record <Th_colspan="3"> Women 's Athletics <Th_colspan="3"> Representing Nigeria <Th_colspan="3"> Olympic Games 1996 Atlanta Long Jump <Th_colspan="3"> Commonwealth Games 1990 Auckland 4x100 m relay <Th_colspan="3"> World Indoor Championships 1997 Paris Long Jump Chioma Ajunwa - Opara , MON ( born 25 December 1970 ) -- also known as Chioma Ajunwa -- is a Nigerian former athlete who specialised in the long jump . After various setbacks in her career she achieved fame when she became the first athlete in her country to win an Olympic gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta , and to date remains Nigeria 's only individual Olympic gold medalist . Chioma Ajunwa is the first black African woman to win an Olympic gold medal in a field event . Ajunwa is also an officer with the Nigerian Police Force . Contents ( hide ) 1 Early life 2 Football 3 Track and Field 4 Recognition 4.1 Member of the Order of Niger 4.2 Community Chieftaincy Title 4.3 Nigeria Golden Jubilee Independence Awards 4.4 Appointments and membership of bodies 5 Anti-doping campaign 6 See also 7 References 8 External links Early life ( edit ) Born into what she describes as `` a very poor home '' , Ahiazu - Mbaise - native Ajunwa was the last of nine children , with six brothers and two sisters . Her father died while she was still young , leaving his wife to solely support a large family . At eighteen Ajunwa , who had been a keen athletics participant during her school years , gained admission into university but was unable to register due to her mother 's inability to pay the fees . She later decided to become a motor mechanic , but abandoned the idea following her mother 's disapproval . Football ( edit ) As a professional sportswoman Ajunwa originally played football for the Nigerian women 's team and was a member of The Falcons during the Women 's World Cup in 1991 , but as she was constantly benched her skill was seldom used . Of her short - lived football career Ajunwa has stated `` I 've not regretted the decision ( to leave football ) because I 've made my mark in athletics . I could have continued with football but there was a particular coach ... He knew then that I was the best player in the team but he decided to keep me on the bench throughout our matches so I left the team 's camp . '' Track and field ( edit ) Ajunwa performed as a track and field athlete and specialised in the 100m , 200m and long jump . She competed at the 1990 Commonwealth Games , winning a bronze medal in the 4 x 100 metres relay , and competed at the African Championships in 1989 and the All Africa Games in 1991 where she won gold medals in the long jump . Ajunwa was banned from the sport for four years after failing a drug test in 1992 , despite maintaining her innocence . Following the completion of her suspension , Ajunwa went on to become the first West - African woman , as well as the first Nigerian , to win an Olympic gold medal in a track and field event when she emerged victorious in the women 's long jump event at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta , with a jump length of 7.12 meters ( on her first attempt ) during the final . Her feat , however , was overshadowed by Nigeria 's Olympic football team -- renamed the Dream Team for the tournament -- who matched her achievement when they beat Argentina to win a gold medal . In 2003 , she stated in an interview with The Vanguard `` I toiled so much for this country , but then I was dumped ... That I could be the only individual gold medal winner for Nigeria in over half - a-century of participation in the Olympics and I could still be treated like a scourge , I could n't believe it . '' Recognition ( edit ) Member of the Order of Niger ( edit ) Following her Olympic gold medal at Atlanta ' 96 , Ajunwa was given a national award -- Member of the Order of Niger ( MON ) -- by the then Head of State of Nigeria Sani Abacha , but complained that she was overlooked compared to the Nigerian football team claiming `` I was given the MON award , right , but without ' E-Y . ' When I heard of what was given to my brothers in the Super Eagles for winning the Nations Cup , I was amazed because you can see the difference ... I 'm not envious of anybody but this is the time to express my feelings that I deserve more . '' Community Chieftaincy Title ( edit ) Imo State awarded her a chieftaincy title . Nigeria Golden Jubilee Independence Awards ( edit ) On 1 October 2010 , Nigeria celebrated its 50th Independence anniversary . As part of that celebration , on Thursday 30 September 2010 , President Goodluck Jonathan conferred special Golden Jubilee Independence Awards on 50 distinguished Nigerians and friends of Nigeria including Ajunwa for their contributions to the development of the country . Appointments and membership of bodies ( edit ) Chairperson of the Women 's Development Committee of Imo State Football Association . 2011 Member of Committee on the Revival of the Nigeria Academicals Sports Competitions. 2011 Anti-doping campaign ( edit ) On Friday 30 April 2010 Ajunwa delivered a paper on `` War against the use of illicit Drugs in Sports '' at an Interactive Session organised by Athletics Federation of Nigeria ( AFN ) for Athletes as part of the 3rd Leg of AFN Golden League at Yaba College of Technology Sports Complex , Yaba . An abridged version of this paper titled `` Fighting the Root Causes of Doping in Athletics '' is available online . In the second half of 2010 , Ajunwa stepped up her anti-doping activities by starting an integrated campaign aptly tagged ' Compete Fair & Clean ' . This personally - financed initiative involves communicating anti-doping messages directly to athletes and coaches at athletic events . Awareness and Red - flag workshops and seminars are being organised with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria ( AFN ) . Ganners are placed at athletic events and informative publications as well as T - shirts with anti-doping messages are given to athletes and coaches . See also ( edit ) List of champions of Africa of athletics List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences References ( edit ) Jump up ^ Nigeria 's Historic Olympian : Chioma Ajunwa Opara , Nigeria 's only individual Olympic gold medalist and a national hero . - CNN Jump up ^ `` Chioma Ajunwa Biography and Statistics '' . Sports Reference . Retrieved 14 October 2009 . Jump up ^ Nigeria 's Historic Olympian : Chioma Ajunwa Opara , Nigeria 's only individual Olympic gold medalist and a national hero . - CNN Jump up ^ Chioma Ajunwa - Opara : From Olympics Success to Busting Crime Jump up ^ Chioma Ajunwa , mon Nigeria 's first Olympic gold medallist : My bitter - sweet story Archived 7 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine . Jump up ^ `` Ajunwa Chioma NGR '' ( Web page ) . iaaf.org . International Association of Athletics Federations. 1996 -- 2009 . Retrieved 24 March 2012 . Jump up ^ Poverty Made Me a Mechanic Archived 2 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine . Jump up ^ Chioma Ajunwa -- FIFA competition record Jump up ^ I 'll never regret dumping football for athletics -- Chioma Ajunwa Jump up ^ `` Ajunwa Chioma NGR '' ( Web page ) . iaaf.org . International Association of Athletics Federations. 1996 -- 2009 . Retrieved 24 March 2012 . Jump up ^ Nigeria : I Suffered Too Much for Nigeria -- Chioma Ajunwa Jump up ^ Fallout of AFCON presidential largesse : I need house in Abuja -- Chioma Ajunwa Archived 24 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine . Jump up ^ `` 50 Nigerians Honored Nigeria 's 50th Independence '' . Nigeriaat50.gov.ng . Retrieved 13 February 2012 . Jump up ^ `` AJUNWA JOINS IMO FA Blog Complete Sports '' . Completesportsnigeria.com. 7 April 2011 . Retrieved 13 February 2012 . Jump up ^ `` Odegbami Heads Committee on Revival of Academics Sports Blog Complete Sports '' . Completesportsnigeria.com. 7 April 2011 . Retrieved 13 February 2012 . External links ( edit ) Chioma Ajunwa profile at IAAF <Th_colspan="3"> Nigeria squad -- 1991 FIFA Women 's World Cup <Td_colspan="2"> 1 Chiejine 2 Nwaiwu 3 Ezeocha 4 Okoroafor 5 Branch 6 Mbilitam 7 Ajunwa 8 Nwadike 9 Ngozi Uche 10 Ogun 11 Showemimo 12 Omagbemi 13 Okosieme 14 Ebimiekumo 15 Mukoro 16 Koyonda 17 Eluma 18 Yamala Coach : Bonfrere <Th_colspan="2"> Olympic champions in women 's long jump <Td_colspan="2"> 1948 Olga Gyarmati ( HUN ) 1952 Yvette Williams ( NZL ) 1956 Elżbieta Krzesińska ( POL ) 1960 Vera Krepkina ( URS ) 1964 Mary Rand ( GBR ) 1968 Viorica Viscopoleanu ( ROU ) 1972 Heide Rosendahl ( FRG ) 1976 Angela Voigt ( GDR ) 1980 Tatyana Kolpakova ( URS ) 1984 Anișoara Cușmir - Stanciu ( ROU ) 1988 Jackie Joyner - Kersee ( USA ) 1992 Heike Drechsler ( GER ) 1996 Chioma Ajunwa ( NGR ) 2000 Heike Drechsler ( GER ) 2004 Tatyana Lebedeva ( RUS ) 2008 Maurren Maggi ( BRA ) 2012 Brittney Reese ( USA ) 2016 Tianna Bartoletta ( USA ) <Th_colspan="2"> All - Africa Games champions in women 's long jump <Td_colspan="2"> 1965 : Alice Anum ( GHA ) 1973 -- 1978 : Modupe Oshikoya ( NGR ) 1987 : Beatrice Utondu ( NGR ) 1991 : Chioma Ajunwa ( NGR ) 1995 : Eunice Barber ( SLE ) 1999 : Grace Umelo ( NGR ) 2003 : Esther Aghatise ( NGR ) 2007 : Janice Josephs ( RSA ) 2011 : Blessing Okagbare ( NGR ) 2015 : Joëlle Mbumi Nkouindjin ( CMR ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chioma_Ajunwa&oldid=795391071 '' Categories : 1970 births Living people Nigerian female long jumpers Athletes ( track and field ) at the 1990 Commonwealth Games Athletes ( track and field ) at the 1996 Summer Olympics Olympic athletes of Nigeria Olympic gold medalists for Nigeria Nigerian sportspeople in doping cases Doping cases in athletics Nigerian women 's footballers Nigeria women 's international footballers 1991 FIFA Women 's World Cup players Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics Members of the Order of the Niger Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists in athletics ( track and field ) Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for Nigeria Rivers Angels F.C. players African Games medalists for Nigeria African Games medalists in athletics ( track and field ) World Championships in Athletics athletes for Nigeria Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from August 2017 Articles with permanently dead external links Webarchive template wayback links FIFA player ID same as Wikidata EngvarB from August 2014 Use dmy dates from August 2014 Articles which use infobox templates with no data rows All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from October 2012 Association footballers not categorized by position Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Deutsch Español Français 한국어 Igbo Italiano Malagasy Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Русский Slovenščina Suomi Svenska Yorùbá Edit links This page was last edited on 13 August 2017 , at 23 : 09 . 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