Gymnastics · Gymnasts · No. 1
Uche Eke
The Maryland-born son of a Nigerian father who became Nigeria’s first Olympic gymnast.
- 2021Tokyo Olympian
- Gold2019 African Games
- Bronze2021 African all-around
- 74.265Tokyo all-around
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Nigerian roots, American training
Uche Devon Eke was born on 12 August 1997 in Gaithersburg, Maryland, to an American mother and a Nigerian father, and started gymnastics at four. He competed for the University of Michigan from 2016, specialising on pommel horse, horizontal bar, parallel bars and vault, and earned degrees in computer science engineering and information science.
Golden in Rabat
Choosing to represent Nigeria, he won pommel horse gold and parallel bars bronze at the 2019 African Games in Rabat, Morocco, the first African Games gold by a Nigerian gymnast, and competed at the 2019 World Championships in Stuttgart.
Nigeria’s first Olympic gymnast
In May 2021 in Cairo he won bronze in the all-around at the African Championships, making him the first Nigerian gymnast, male or female, to qualify for the Olympics. At Tokyo 2020 he finished 58th in the all-around qualification with 74.265 points.
Key results
| Year | Event | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | African Games, Rabat | Gold, pommel horse; bronze, parallel bars |
| 2019 | World Championships, Stuttgart | Competed |
| 2021 | African Championships, Cairo | Bronze, all-around (Olympic qualification) |
| 2021 | Olympic Games, Tokyo 2020 | 58th in all-around qualification, 74.265 |
More Nigerian gymnastics
Gymnastics in Nigeria
Artistic and rhythmic gymnastics in Nigeria.Read more
History of gymnastics in Nigeria
From 1975 to Nigeria’s first Olympic gymnast.Read more
Nigerian gymnasts
The Hall of Fame of Nigerian gymnastics.Read more
Contact Nigerian gymnastics
The Nigerian Federation of Gymnastics.Read more
Quick answers
Uche Eke: quick answers
Who is Uche Eke?
An American-born gymnast of Nigerian descent who became Nigeria’s first Olympic gymnast at Tokyo 2020. He competed for the University of Michigan.
What did Uche Eke win at the African Games?
Gold on the pommel horse and bronze on the parallel bars at the 2019 African Games in Rabat, Morocco.
How did Uche Eke qualify for the Olympics?
By winning bronze in the men’s all-around at the 2021 African Championships in Cairo, the first Nigerian gymnast, male or female, to qualify for the Olympics.