Commonwealth Games: Nwachukwu reveals 'secret' behind world record, gold medal

Goodness Nwachukwu secured a Commonwealth Games gold medal and a world record in the women's F42-44/61-64 discus, attributing her success to enhanced preparation and support for Team Nigeria. Nwachukwu, who successfully defended her title in Glasgow, highlighted the positive environment created by the National Sports Commission (NSC), coaches, and support staff as crucial for athlete confidence.

"The preparation for this Commonwealth was so amazing," Nwachukwu told PREMIUM TIMES. "I want to say thank you. They motivated us and kept our morale very high. Our morale was very, very high. With everything they did and the promises they made, I was confident going into the competition."

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The preparation for this Commonwealth was so amazing. I want to say thank you. They motivated us and kept our morale very high. Our morale was very, very high. With everything they did and the promises they made, I was confident going into the competition.

She extended gratitude to President Bola Tinubu, NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko, DG Bukola Olopade, her coaches, and officials for their instrumental roles. "I also want to say a big thank you, starting from Mr President, our Chairman, our Director General, my coach and all the officials for their support. They put everything together for us and helped me achieve my goal. To God be all the glory," she said.

Nwachukwu recounted a challenging start to the competition, with initial throws not meeting expectations. "I was asking myself, ‘What is happening?’ because my warm-up was very good, but my first and second throws were not what I expected," she recalled. "My coach and everyone around me kept telling me to calm down. That really helped."

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I also want to say a big thank you, starting from Mr President, our Chairman, our Director General, my coach and all the officials for their support. They put everything together for us and helped me achieve my goal. To God be all the glory.

With encouragement from her coach before her final attempt, Nwachukwu delivered a world-record throw. "Before my final throw, my coach told me, ‘Now you can explode. This is the last throw.’ I was the last athlete to compete, so I knew I had to attack. That was when the world record came."

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I was asking myself, ‘What is happening?’ because my warm-up was very good, but my first and second throws were not what I expected. My coach and everyone around me kept telling me to calm down. That really helped.

Beyond physical training, Nwachukwu emphasized the importance of discipline and mental resilience. "It’s all about training, focus, determination and discipline," she stated. "You have to keep yourself together no matter the circumstances that come your way. Your mental strength is very important. You also have to train hard because if you don’t train, you cannot succeed. Work hard, ask God for His help, and He will help you."

Looking ahead, Nwachukwu's attention is now on the shot put event for the Paralympics, with preparation commencing for the upcoming World Championship.

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Before my final throw, my coach told me, ‘Now you can explode. This is the last throw.’ I was the last athlete to compete, so I knew I had to attack. That was when the world record came.