Josephine Onyia facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Josephine Onyia Nnkiruka |
| Born | 15 July 1986 Lagos, Nigeria |
Josephine Onyia Nnkiruka (born 15 July 1986) is a talented track and field athlete. She is known for specializing in the 100 metres hurdles, which is a running race where athletes jump over barriers. Josephine was born in Nigeria and later represented Spain in sports, including at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Contents
Early Career and Achievements
Josephine Onyia changed her nationality from Nigeria to Spain in April 2007. This allowed her to compete for Spain, just like another hurdler, Glory Alozie, had done before.
First Medals for Spain
Her first big success representing Spain was at the 2007 IAAF World Athletics Final. Here, she won a silver medal in the hurdles event. The next year, she started strong by winning a gold medal at the 2008 European Athletics Indoor Cup.
Setting Records
In 2008, Josephine set a new Spanish national record at the IAAF Golden League meeting in Berlin. She ran the 100 metres hurdles in an amazing 12.50 seconds. This was a fantastic achievement, showing her speed and skill.
Olympic Games Performance
Josephine competed in the hurdles at the Summer Olympics in Beijing. She performed well, reaching the semi-finals. She finished fifth in her semi-final race, just missing out on a spot in the final.
Challenges and Later Career
After her strong performances, Josephine faced some challenges in her career.
Sporting Issues
In 2016, her results from the 2008 Olympics were changed. This happened after samples from 2008 were re-tested. Her participation in the 2008 Olympics was officially removed from the records.
Later, she faced further issues related to sports rules. She received a two-year break from competing, which ended in November 2010.
Return to Competition
Josephine returned to competing in January 2011, winning an indoor race in Zaragoza. However, she later received another two-year break from competition in July 2011.
In August 2015, it was reported that she would no longer be able to compete in professional athletics.
Achievements
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | World Youth Championships | Sherbrooke, Canada | 4th | 100 m hurdles |
| 2007 | World Athletics Final | Stuttgart, Germany | 2nd | 100 m hurdles |
| 2008 | European Indoor Cup | Moscow, Russia | 1st | 60 m hurdles |
| World Indoor Championships | Valencia, Spain | 8th | 60 m hurdles | |
| Olympic Games | Beijing, China | DQ (5th (semis)) | 100 m hurdles | |
| World Athletics Final | Stuttgart, Germany | DQ (1st) | 100 m hurdles |
See also
In Spanish: Josephine Onyia Nnkiruka para niños
