Christy Opara-Thompson

Christy Opara-Thompson (born 24 December 1971) is a Nigerian-American former track and field athlete who specialized in sprints and the long jump. She first represented Nigeria internationally before transferring allegiance to the United States in 1998.

A bronze medallist at the 1992 Summer Olympics and a multi-medallist at the Commonwealth Games, Opara-Thompson was one of Africa’s leading female sprinters during the 1990s.

International career Olympic Games Opara-Thompson represented Nigeria at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, where she won the bronze medal in the 4 × 100 metres relay alongside Beatrice Utondu, Faith Idehen, and Mary Onyali. Their finish in 42.81 seconds marked Nigeria’s first-ever Olympic medal in a women’s relay event.

Commonwealth Games At the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada, she won: Silver in the 100 metres (11.22 s) Bronze in the long jump (6.72 m) Gold in the 4 × 100 metres relay (42.99 s, Games Record at the time)

African and world events Opara-Thompson also medalled at: The 1993 African Championships: gold in the long jump and bronze in the 100 m The 1995 All-Africa Games: silver in the 100 m and relay The 1991 World Championships: part of Nigeria’s 4th-place relay team

She competed at the World University Games, winning multiple medals in sprint and jump events, and was a finalist in several global meets throughout her career.

National record and transfer to U.S. In 1997 and 1998, Opara-Thompson became the fastest woman in the world over 60 metres indoors with a national record time of 7.02 s. On 18 October 1998, she officially changed her sporting nationality to represent the United States internationally.

Personal bests

60 m (indoor) – 7.02 s (1997) – Nigerian national record 100 m – 11.07 s (1997) Long jump – 6.72 m (1994) 4 × 100 m relay – 42.39 s (1992)

Post-athletic career After retiring, Opara-Thompson returned to Nigeria and established the Soho24 Foundation focused on youth development, fitness, and elite sports performance. In 2020, she opened the Soho24 Foundation Sports Arena in Abuja—a multi-sport complex with facilities for track and field, indoor basketball, football, and strength training.

She is currently based between Nigeria and the U.S., working as a certified performance coach and advocate for female athletes over 40, promoting fitness, longevity, and youth development through sport.

International competitions