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Instead, she decided to leave her future in the land of her birth.
Echikunwoke made his debut at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, finishing 12th in the finals.
She unexpectedly won the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, throwing a season-best 74.86 meters.
On Tuesday night, she cleared 75.48 meters at the Stade de France, surpassing the previous record and trailing only Canada’s Camryn Rogers.
“I felt safe going into the competition. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Echikunwork said.
“It was so exciting — being on Team USA, getting to the final, walking into the stadium and hearing everybody being so loud.
“It is truly an honor to be the first American woman to medal in the hammer throw.
“It’s really a testament to that. I wanted that experience.”
Now, Echikunwork has come out of the low point in her career where she could have represented Nigeria, but she is still proud now.
“From that point on I knew there would be more,” she said.
“I’ve forgiven the past and we just have to move on.”
Representatives for Nigeria’s sports minister would not say whether she was successful.
“Our focus is on our own athletes rather than those travelling to represent other countries,” the spokesman told BBC Sport Africa.
AFN has not yet responded to the BBC’s request for comment on Echikunwork’s silver medal.
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