Olympic singing champion Ogunleye creates a moving moment
German athletes excel at the Olympic Games in Paris, better than in Tokyo. Sensation discus thrower Yemisi Ogunleye scores the golden finale at the stadium. Her past and a hobby help her technique.
As the newly crowned Olympic champion in discus throw, Yemisi Ogunleye enchanted at the end of the press conference: After being asked to demonstrate her singing talent, the 25-year-old gratefully sang a gospel song to God - the same song she claimed to have sung during her impressive performance. Goosebumps moment. "My heart is simply filled with gratitude," said the surprise Olympic champion. After her gold medal, she ran to the curve and celebrated with her family and coaches. "My family was sitting in the front row, experiencing this moment was simply incredible. I hugged everyone and cried tears of joy together."
Germany wins gold in discus throw - something that hasn't happened since Astrid Kumbernuss in 1996. Ogunleye is the fifth German woman to achieve this in the athletics discipline. After silver for decathlete Leo Neugebauer and long jumper Malaika Mihambo, and bronze for the women's 4x100m relay team, Ogunleye brought great glory to the Stade de France. There are no more German starters in the finals on Saturday. In Tokyo, there was one gold and two silvers.
The competition didn't start well for the Mannheim native. In the first round, she slipped in the wet ring and fell on her knee. "I had the chance: Do I give up now or do I continue?" she described her thrilling competition. Three years after Mihambo's gold, with whom Ogunleye had sung together in the Olympic preliminary rounds, the discus thrower is the next German Olympic champion.
"God, you made it so easy"
Before her final throw, which she threw 20.00 meters, the believing athlete turned to God. "I stood in the ring and I knew, this is going to happen now. And I just said: God, come with me into the ring and give me the strength and the necessary courage," said Ogunleye. "When I saw that the discus had landed on the 20-meter line, it was simply a moment where I was so shocked. God, you made it so easy."
In difficult times in her life, she found her way to God. Ogunleye had to fight back after severe injuries, deal with racism and bullying. Her father is from Nigeria, her mother is German. She was born in Germany, comes from Bellheim in the Palatinate. And she is "proud to be a mixed race," as she said after placing second at the World Indoor Championships this year. Bronze at the European Championships came in June in Rome.
But nothing compares to the Olympic moment in Paris. Silver medalist Maddison-Lee Wesche from New Zealand and bronze medalist Song Jiayun from China appear much more powerful next to Ogunleye. She owes her Olympic victory to the rotational technique. "I used to do gymnastics and that gave me a certain body feeling," she said. "I'm musical, I have rhythm, and I have the size, leverage, and quickness needed for rotational throwing."
The Olympic Games 2024 in Paris is eagerly anticipated, with German athletes aiming to build upon their success in Paris, following their impressive performances in the 2024 Games. Yemisi Ogunleye, the gold medalist in discus throw, is particularly excited, as she believes her rotational technique, honed from her gymnastics background, will aid her in defending her title.
