When Annette Echikunwoke, draped in an American flag, celebrated her silver medal in the women's hammer throw at Paris 2024 there was a feeling of vindication mixed in with the history she had made. But for those watching in Nigeria, it was a case of what might have been. Africa's most populous country is still waiting for its first medal at these Olympic Games, and Echikunwoke could have been competing in green and white but for an administrative oversight by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN). Instead, the 28-year-old became the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in the hammer. "I am so glad to be able to have what I experienced here in Paris and to be able to come away with a medal," she said. "Being with the US, feeling cared for as an athlete, I really performed on top of my game." So how did Nigeria miss out on her place on the podium? Sliding doors in Tokyo Echikunwoke, who was born in Ohio and holds dual American-Nigerian citizenship, was set to represent the country of her parents at Tokyo 2020.