The 18th edition of the world’s indoor championship was held in Belgrade, Serbia, between March 18th and March 20th, 2022.
During that championship, Ms. Auriol DONGMO MEKEMNANG, a Cameroonian born athlete became was rewarded as the world’s female champion in the discipline of shot put. Her throw of 20.43 meters was rewarded with the golden medal.
During that championship, DONGMO MEKEMNANG defeated fellow shot-put competitors Chase EASLEY (20.21 meters) from the United States and Jessica SCHILDER (19.49 meters) from the Netherlands.
Prior to being the world’s female champion in the shot-put discipline, DONGMO MEKEMNANG had participated and won several other championships, as a shot-put athlete and as a disc-throw athlete. Indeed, as of 2009, she competed in the following competitions:
1. FENASCO Games (Cameroon): champion in 2009, in shot-put
2. FENASCO Games (Cameroon): ranked 5th in 2009, in disc throw, with a throw of 40.34 meters
3. African Championship (Morocco): gold medal, in shot put, with a throw of 16.84 meters
4. Central Africa Championship: champion in 2015, in shot-put
5. African Championship (Republic of Congo): champion in 2015 in shot-put, with a throw of 17.21 meters
DONGMO MEKEMNANG was competing under the Portuguese flagship. Indeed, although she was born and raised in Northern Cameroon, she’d been competing for Portugal for the past two years.
At a global level, not only this shot-put victory is a first for Cameroon, but it is also the first time a female Portuguese is winning a golden medal in such competition.
The video below will demonstrate a glimpse of DONGMO MEKEMNANG's performance as a shot-put athlete.