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Okoro Advances to Shot Put Final at IAAF World Junior Championships
Okoro finishes 10th in qualifying round with throw of 50-06.75
 
Chinwe Okoro

Chinwe Okoro

July 9, 2008

BYDGOSZCZ, Poland - The University of Louisville's Chinwe Okoro advanced to the final of the women's shot put with a 10th-place finish in Wednesday's qualifying round at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Poland.

A native of Russell, Ky., Okoro had a throw of 50 feet, 6.75 inches (15.41m) on her third and final attempt during the preliminary round of action. Okoro and the other top 12 finishers in Wednesday's qualifying round advance to the shot put final, set for Thursday at 11:30 a.m. ET.

Okoro, who completed her freshman season at U of L in May at the NCAA Mideast Regional in Fayetteville, Ark., earned her spot on Team USA for the World Junior Championships after winning the women's shot put at the USA Junior Championships on June 22 in Columbus, Ohio. She had a personal best throw of 53 feet, 0.25 inches (16.06m) to defeat a field of 24 other throwers and become U of L's first junior national champion since Cory Thorne's 3,000m steeplechase title in 2006.

Following the IAAF World Junior Championships, the Cards' Andre Black will represent Team USA at the 2008 NACAC Under 23 Championships in Toluca, Mexico. The meet will feature athletes from North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

Louisville's summer of international events will conclude with head coach Ron Mann serving as the men's middle distance coach for Team USA at the 2008 Beijing Olympics on Aug. 8-24.

 

 

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