DOUALA, CAMEROON (CVILLE RIGHT NOW): The list of Olympians affiliated with the University of Virginia continues to grow. Third-year law student Ashley Anunba won a place on the Olympic team of her native Nigeria at the African Athletic Championships on June 21. She set a UVA record in discus at NC State’s Raleigh Relays in 2023, throwing 59.37 meters. After college, she marked 61.98 meters at the Nigerian championships last July.

In an Instagram post following her nomination for the Olympics and her gold medal triumph, Anunba wrote, “This journey of mine has not been straightforward, but I am exactly where I need to be. The job is not finished, but man am I proud of myself.”

For UVA in 2022, Anunba was named a second-team All-American and earned All-ACC honors in discus and shot put.