Tragically, her Olympic dream was shattered when she was disqualified due to Nigeria’s failure to comply with anti-doping regulations. The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) could not provide the required number of out-of-competition tests, leading to the disqualification of 10 athletes, including Echikunwoke. Salwa Eid Naser, born Ebelechukwu Agbapuonwu, has made history by clinching the silver medal in the women’s 400m at the Paris 2024 Olympics, representing Bahrain.
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With the Olympics still ongoing, the medal table is bound to change, and African nations are poised to continue their impressive performances. Faith Kipyegon is a Kenyan track and field athlete who specialises in the middle and long distances and is the current world record holder in the 1500 metres. Yemisi Ogunleye, born in Germany to a Nigerian father from Omuo-Ekiti in Ekiti State, made history by winning gold in the shot put for Germany.
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This extraordinary record cements his status as the athlete with the most gold medals in Summer Olympic history. Same for D’Tigress, the female basketball team which defeated every opposition all the way to the Olympic podium. With the convergence of these superlative performances and the desire to accomplish more, it was not out of place that people expressed hope and had expectations on Nigeria’s chances at the Olympics. At the end of the games, however, and contrary to predictions, Nigeria was not among Africa’s “Top 10” finishers. We “flourished and excelled” in the back-pages as one of the dismal performers in Africa and the world.
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The United States continued its tradition of Olympic dominance at the 2024 Paris Games, securing the top spot in the overall medal count. Team USA amassed an impressive total of 126 medals, including 40 gold, 44 silver, and 42 bronze. This outstanding performance showcased the country’s robust sports infrastructure and development programs across a wide range of disciplines. In addition to the medals, which are unique to each Olympic Games, some winners will get additional awards from their home nations. Cash prizes, cows or even apartments are some of the rewards medal winners in some sports or from certain countries will enjoy.
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Few days after the conclusion of the 2024 Olympic Games, sports loving Nigerians are still reeling with disappointment following the country’s dismal showing. This came shortly after four Nigerian athletes, Emmanuel Ojeli, Ezekiel Nathanial, Dubem Amene and Chidi Okezie were disqualified from participating in the final of men’s 4x400m for alleged violation of a rule of the competition. President Bola Tinubu’s administration has expressed disappointment and concern over Team Nigeria’s failure to secure a single medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, prompting calls for reforms to improve sports administration in the country.
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Katie Ledecky won four medals in Paris (two gold, one silver, and one bronze), bringing her career total to 14 from four Olympic Games. Notably, Ledecky’s outstanding performance in Paris earned her a place as the most decorated female swimmer in Olympic history and the most decorated female Olympian of all time from the United States. The 2024 Paris Olympics, which started on July 26th, have finally come to a close, leaving a legacy of outstanding events, record-breaking accomplishments, and inspiring stories that demonstrate human excellence. For two weeks, the world’s best athletes converged in the beautiful city of Paris to compete, challenge limits, and make history. From Simone Biles’ dominance in gymnastics to Léon Marchand’s incredible performances in the pool, this year’s Olympics were loaded with unforgettable moments. Shinnosuke Oka of Japan has claimed 3 gold, 0 silver, and 1 bronze, while South Korea’s Kim Woojin and Lim Sihyeon have both secured 3 gold medals each.
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The minister vowed to ensure only the best hands are voted in during the forthcoming sports federation elections. The contingent battled administrative lapses and poor technical decisions alongside abysmal performances, a situation Enoh said the country must correct — starting with the federation election — to avert future disaster. However, general secretary of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Tunji Popoola, has predicted a podium finish for the nine-time African champions. Whether you’re a seasoned surf enthusiast or a casual observer, the 2024 Olympic surfing event is set to deliver excitement, drama, and unforgettable moments. Mark your calendars and get ready to watch the world’s best surfers take on one of the most challenging waves on the planet.
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A year after the unfortunate development in Tokyo, Echikunwoke switched allegiance back to the United States. She competed for America and won silver in the hammer throw at the Paris Olympic Games. Here are the athletes of Nigerian origin who won medals at the Paris Olympic Games.
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- The outcome stands in stark contrast to the achievements of athletes with Nigerian heritage competing for other nations.
- New Zealand’s Maddison-Lee Wesche took silver with a throw of 19.86m, while China’s Song Jiayuan claimed bronze with a distance of 19.32m.
- The end of the Games also mark a new beginning even where the officials were re-elected.
- However, Antonio Pettigrew, who admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs, was stripped of his medal.
Nigeria’s Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, has already called for Nigerians to throw their weight behind the nation throughout the games. There are several sports – Football, Rugby Sevens, Handball and Archery – running before the Opening Ceremony on Friday. French will be replaced by Germany’s Annika Zillekens, who had announced her retirement after failing to qualify from Saturday’s semi-final. The 40 golds was an all-time high for Games outside China and was achieved despite immense pressure and tightened scrutiny resulting from a doping row involving some of its swimmers.
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While Team Nigeria will be returning home empty-handed from the Paris 2024 Olympics, athletes of Nigerian origin made their mark on the global stage, winning four medals for their adopted countries. It has been marked by controversies, such as Favour Ofili’s exclusion from her event, but also by highlights like the women’s basketball team reaching the quarterfinals. Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis, a Swede, did what he does best—breaking the Olympic record with a 6.10m jump to defend his gold medal and then raising the bar to 6.25m. The stadium was silent as Mondo began his run-up, then erupted in applause as he flew over the bar, creating a new world record height. Fans celebrated his accomplishment after witnessing the highest jump—and jumper—in history.
Although he scored only once during the tournament, in a 2-1 group stage loss to Egypt, his contributions were vital to Spain’s overall success. Before May 2023, she had never thrown beyond 19 metres, and her trophy cabinet was empty of national, European, or world championship medals until February 2024. Yet, by the end of the year, she emerged as an Olympic champion, having also claimed two national championships, a bronze at the 2024 European Athletics Championships, and a silver at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships.
The US topped the medal chart, followed by China with 91 medals, Britain with 65 medals, and France with 64 medals.
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“As we go back home we must do everything to prevent future occurrence of the Paris disaster and if this will entail the review of how people are elected to lead our sporting federations, it will be done,” he said. Nigeria will be represented by 88 athletes in 12 sports at the Paris Olympics. Nigeria sent 88 athletes to compete in Paris, but the contingent faced numerous challenges, including administrative lapses and poor technical decisions, which contributed to their underwhelming results. Senator Enoh made this known while addressing newsmen at the MKO National Stadium, Abuja Tuesday on his perception of Nigeria’s record-breaking appearance in Accra, Ghana for the 13th edition of African Games. Nigeria recorded a first swimming medal in 33years, as well as a medal in handball in 21 years and coming second in the overall medal’s table.
- Quincy Hall also came from behind, nabbing the U.S. first gold medal in the 400 meters since 2008.
- Temitope Adeshina competed for Nigeria against 15 other nations in the initial round.
- We “flourished and excelled” in the back-pages as one of the dismal performers in Africa and the world.
- Katie Ledecky won four medals in Paris (two gold, one silver, and one bronze), bringing her career total to 14 from four Olympic Games.
- Of these, 14 were in individual events, while four were achieved as part of the Soviet team.
- On Sunday night, the 2024 Olympic Flame was extinguished thus marking the end of the jamboree tinged with colourful and electrifying traditional and cultural displays by the host nation, France.
- Yemisi Ogunleye who won gold for Germany in shot put is from Omuo-Ekiti in Ekiti State.
The surfing events are scheduled to take place between July 27 and August 3, 2024, with the exact dates and times subject to change based on wave conditions. The competition may extend to August 5 if necessary, to ensure optimal conditions for the surfers. Weather conditions play a crucial role in surfing competitions, and the event organizers will prioritize the safety and performance potential for the athletes. Judges score each wave on a scale of 1 to 10, with the top two scores from each surfer being combined to give their total heat score.
- Saleh cited poor preparation, lack of world standard sporting facilities in the country and below average number of participants in the total featured sports event at Paris 2024 Olympics.
- The performance set the stage for the evening’s most anticipated event when Tom Cruise made a surprise appearance.
- In her case, she not only abandoned Nigeria, she even changed her name to Salwa Eid Naser to identify fully with her chosen country and new religion.
- This mindset has helped me a great deal and it is the same mindset I want us compatriots to embrace and emulate.
- Expectations are high for the country’s Paralympians to continue their success and bring pride to the nation.
- For two weeks, the world’s best athletes came together to celebrate the global language of sports, and the results were nothing short of magnificent.
- Team USA amassed an impressive total of 126 medals, including 40 gold, 44 silver, and 42 bronze.
Collectively, these athletes won four medals, a tally nearly equalling Nigeria’s best Olympic performance. In the spirit of celebrating women at the Olympics, we’re spotlighting African women’s performances at the games. There are no plans to work with schools, clubs, communities, and several initiatives that can harness thousands of young Nigerians aspiring to be athletes across different sports.
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- Over his four Olympic appearances in the 1980s and ’90s, Lewis won nine gold medals, cementing his status as one of the sport’s greatest athletes.
- Despite not winning medals, some athletes ranked among the best in the world.
- These include the rise of women runners, fewer returns on men’s distance events and a need to diversify at a development level to meet the growing competitiveness from rival nations.
- Fans celebrated his accomplishment after witnessing the highest jump—and jumper—in history.
- The Honorable Minister has maintained his assurances of the country’s readiness for the Olympic Games.
- SaharaReporters.com is an outstanding, groundbreaking news website that encourages citizen journalists to report ongoing corruption and government malfeasance in Africa.
But we witnessed, nonetheless, the triumph of the human spirit, the defining characteristic of the Olympics since its Athenian beginnings, and its re-invention in modern times in 1896 by Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin. Memories of the Paris Olympics will linger and endure in terms of the drama, the colourful, history-laden displays and the use of the cityscape of France, with the Eiffel Tower looming large in the background. Andy Murray, the British tennis star, announced his retirement during the Olympics.
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Sports development minister, Senator John Owan-Enoh, announced that President Bola Tinubu approved over N12 billion for Team Nigeria’s preparation and participation in the Paris Olympics and Paralympics. Of this budget, N9 billion was allocated for the Olympics, and N3 billion was set aside for the Paralympics. Saleh cited poor preparation, lack of world standard sporting facilities in the country and below average number of participants in the total featured sports event at Paris 2024 Olympics.
After a quiet 2004 Olympics, Bolt shone brightly in 2008, setting a 100-meter world record of 9.72 seconds and securing three gold medals in Beijing. Traditionally known for its distance runners, the nation continues to uphold its strong Olympic legacy and remains a formidable competitor in various athletic events. That move has proved to be a smart one as Naser has continued to win medals for the oil-rich Kingdom, the latest being the 400m Silver medal at the 400m women’s event.
On 19 June, Team GB confirmed the final three triathletes, Sam Dickinson, Georgia Taylor-Brown and Kate Waugh.[126] This confirmed Dickinson also in the relay as the only other male athlete. In the women’s section, both defending Olympic champion Kate French and Jessica Varley were also in qualification positions, as was Charlie Brown in the men’ section. Great Britain could elect any of the eligible athletes so long as they remain within the two per NOC limit.
Same with Salwa Eid Naser (formerly Ebelechukwu Agbapuonwu) who also won silver medal in 400 metres, for little known Bahrain. Watching others including Yemisi Ogunleye, Victoria Ohuruogu, Barthelemy Chinenze, Samu Omorodion and Michael Olise winning medals for Germany, Great Britain, France, and Spain in different sports evoked teary eyes, and mood swings. The United States has made a strong showing with several athletes in the top ranks. Torri Huske has matched Marchand’s medal count with 3 gold, 2 silver, and 0 bronze.
The Ethiopians are projected to finish 17th on the final medal table with a total of 17 medals made up of five gold, six silver and six bronze medals. Victoria Ohuruogu, representing Great Britain, won a bronze medal in the women’s 4×400 meters relay at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Ohuruogu, the younger sister of former Olympic gold medalist Christine Ohuruogu, has followed in her sister’s footsteps by contributing to Britain’s success in the relay. Her performance in Paris solidified her status as a top athlete in her own right, and her bronze medal added to the family’s Olympic legacy. Samu Omorodion, who represented Spain in men’s football, achieved the highest honor by winning a gold medal.
With the ghost of the 2012 London Olympics, where Nigeria failed to win any medal staring the nation in Paris, the anger, complaints, and negative exertions of people was understandable. The medal tally of these Diaspora athletes is almost at par with the country’s best-ever outing https://big-bet.org/ at the Olympic Games when Nigeria won two gold, one silver, and three bronze medals at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games. The success of these nations at the 2024 Paris Olympics not only celebrates their current achievements but also sets the stage for future competitions.
“In the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, we won two medals – bronze in long jump (Ese Brume) and silver in wrestling (Blessing Oborodudu) and both athletes were in the Paris Olympics. For instance, four years ago they got bronze and silver and you are making a projection, you will not be wrong to project that they would do better. So, when the federations come and briefing you like that you have to believe them and that was the basis of our projection. And despite the huge ₦12bn approved by President Bola Tinubu for the country’s outing at the Olympics and the Paralympics, of which ₦9bn was earmarked for the former while ₦3bn was budgeted for the latter, Nigeria failed to win a single medal.
However, as has happened in the last few years on the global stage, Omanyala was made to look ordinary in the end. However, Letsile Tebogo of Botswana winning gold in the 200 metres and South Africa Africa taking silver in the 4×100 metre relay sprint shows that Africa can truly compete in sprint events. It is important that Kenya nurtures more sprinters and diversify beyond distance running.
