Onyekwere-Lyons Targets Historic Dual-Sport Feat at 2026 Commonwealth Games
Reigning Commonwealth discus champion Chioma Onyekwere-Lyons is eyeing a historic double appearance at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, as she explores the possibility of competing in both athletics and weightlifting.
The African record holder in the discus confirmed that her recent transition into Olympic weightlifting is driven by a desire to make history, subject to qualification and approval from Nigerian authorities.
“I am trying to see if Nigeria will let me do a dual sport at the Commonwealth Games. It has never been done before. I would be making history,” she said.
The 31-year-old, born in the United States but representing Nigeria, won gold in the discus at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. She is also a three-time African champion, with titles in 2018 and 2022, and a gold medal at the 2019 African Games.
In January, she made her competitive debut in Olympic weightlifting at an International Weightlifting Federation-sanctioned event, lifting 75kg in the snatch and 106kg in the clean and jerk.
To qualify for Glasgow 2026 in weightlifting, she must compete in at least two IWF-sanctioned events between June 1, 2025, and May 18, 2026, with at least one appearance in her intended bodyweight category. Her qualification pathway would be through the IWF Commonwealth ranking list or a bipartite invitation.
If successful, Onyekwere-Lyons would attempt a rare crossover at the same Games, combining her status as Africa’s leading discus thrower with a new chapter on the weightlifting platform.
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