In Beijing, not many gave the then 24-year-old Chukwumerije any chance of winning a medal, not even after he had emerged as Africa's champion at the 2007 All Africa Games (AAG) in Algiers.
Chukwumerije lost narrowly to Alexandros Nikolaidis of Greece in the semi finals in Beijing, before regaining his comportment and doing just enough to defeat Akmal Irgashev of Uzbekistan in the bronze medal match.
His next shot is, therefore, an Olympics gold medal in London. "The All Africa Games is a special competition to me, perhaps not as much as the Olympics, for obvious reasons. It's nice to have athletes from across Africa gathered in one place," Chukwumerije told NEXTSports.
"The Olympics is a dream for me, and I toss in my bed at night just thinking about it, and considering I just completed my Masters degree programme in the UK, participating in the London Olympics will hold a special significance for me.
"However, I must qualify for all these events. It is not my birthright to go to the AAG or Olympics," he said, before adding: "I recognise this, and that is why I train so hard so I can earn the qualifying tickets yet again."
The national camp
He isn't looking forward to the intrigues and drama that usually precede the country's preparations for major championships, but he looks forward to flying the green and white of Nigeria as high as he can.
"The lows for me are the training camps," he disclosed. "There's always constant bickering and politicking that can make one lose focus. Thus, I prepare more mentally for the national camps than I do for tournaments... this drains me," he stressed, before adding: "Representing Nigeria will always be a high for me, and winning a medal makes it even more memorable, especially when you work so hard for it."
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