And, as Wanyonyi demonstrates, the talent search should be cast beyond the traditional geographical and cultural catchment areas. Athlete Sifan Hassan was praised after wearing a hijab to accept her gold medal for a record-breaking marathon, defying the ban. Kaylia Nemour from Algeria made history as the first debut African gymnast to claim an Olympic medal by winning the gold in the even bars category. “We did everything as a Ministry to prepare the athletes adequately and provide them with every financial support but unfortunately the performance did not produce any podium finish.
Ukpeseraue fails to qualify for the Women’s Road Race
Born from an unwavering commitment to the nation’s progress, we stand as an emblem of independent journalism dedicated to serving the interests of progressive Nigerians from every corner of our diverse and vibrant country. Ikeoluwa Ogungbangbe, with her four-year tenure as a writer, fervently champions early leadership ideals. Her flagship program, “From Seed to Sequoia Initiative,” is a testament to her commitment, where she mentors secondary school students, helping shape their futures. She strongly asserts that genuine, authentic friendships and relationships are the foundational pillars that drive individual and collective success. Guiding young minds, she believes in laying down roots of integrity, passion, and resilience.
Mutual Benefits backs golf tournament to celebrate Nigeria’s 64th independence
This much we must understand about the intricacies of sporting competitions. Similarly, D’Tigress’ point guard Ezinne Kalu, was named one of the “All-Second Team of the Olympics Women’s Basketball.” This is a recognition to treasure. The US performance was driven by strong showings in swimming and track and field events, with 257 medalists contributing to the total medal count. Thirteen athletes won multiple gold medals, and 44 athletes won multiple medals overall.
- Her collection includes nine gold, five silver, and four bronze medals, which she earned across three Games from 1956 to 1964.
- She competed for America and won silver in the hammer throw at the Paris Olympic Games.
- This streak was maintained in Paris when Rosalind Canter, Laura Collett and Tom McEwen won gold in the Equestrian Team eventing competition on Day three of the Games.
- At the Paris 2024 Olympics, she claimed the silver medal in the 400 meters, adding to her impressive collection of international medals.
- The contest for most gold medals at the Paris Olympics ended in a tie between China and the United States.
- “These athletes pay nutritionists, coaches and do all other necessary things.
Women rescue Kenya’s image
Simone Biles, the gymnastics phenomenon, has secured 3 gold medals, solidifying her status as one of the great Olympians. Regan Smith has also excelled, earning 2 gold, 3 silver, and 0 bronze medals. At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the athlete with the most medals won was Yefei Zhang.
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The ceremony saw a magnificent display as thousands of athletes glided along the River Seine, passing vibrant performers on bridges, riverbanks, and rooftops. 11 athletes proposed, setting the record for the most marriage proposals at the Olympics. American swimmer Katie Ledecky, who at this year’s Olympics added four medals to her total of 14, became the most decorated female Olympian ever. Côte d’Ivoire, Cabo Verde and Zambia had one bronze medal each, and Nigeria and Ghana closed with no medals.
Algeria and Morocco: National Pride
Someone once said a foreign coach will never train you to beat his country’s athlete. “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. Before this, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach praised the Paris Games, calling them a showcase of sport at its finest. The Paris 2024 Olympic games came to an end with a closing ceremony held at the Stade de France Stadium on Sunday night of August 11, at the French capital. Ethiopia will top the Olympic medal table for Africa, a supercomputer has predicted, with USA, China and Great Britain pegged to occupy the top three. Zambia, New Zealand, Australia and Nigeria were the four teams eliminated from the Games this week, with world champion Spain, South American champion Brazil and Olympic champion Canada all still standing as the knockout stage prepares to begin.
Paris 2024: Top 10 Most Decorated Athletes in Olympic Games History, Usain Bolt Out of First Five
From winning gold in shot put to securing silver in the 400 meters and hammer throw, and achieving victory in men’s football, these athletes demonstrated exceptional skill and determination. They upheld a legacy of Nigerian excellence on the global stage, even as they competed for countries other than Nigeria. More worrisome was that some athletes of Nigerian descent competed for other countries. These included those who changed nationalities due to the arbitrary, nepotistic, and capricious attitudes of some Nigerian officials and managers. Watching helplessly as they won medals for their adopted nations triggered psychological discomfort, even emotional torture. Annette Echikunwoke won silver medal for USA in Hammer Throw after being frustrated and chased out of Nigeria by some overzealous officials at the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, (AFN).
The final update: A recap of the 2024 Paris Olympics
Muzala Samukonga broke his own 400m national record en route to a first Olympic medal for Zambia since 1996. These victories contribute to the rich sports culture in both countries, encouraging future generations to pursue excellence in athletics. The women’s 4x100m final is set to be star-studded led by America’s Sha’Carri Richardson and defending champions Jamaica who made it without star Shericka Jackson. Uganda has made a significant impact with two medals, comprising one gold and one silver. Omorodion’s success highlights the talent and potential of Nigerian athletes in the diaspora.
Olympics: Why do we like to cry over spilt milk?
Whether they become elite athletes or not, opportunities abound for them to get sports scholarships and benefit from great education. However, the country had representation in other throwing events, including the men’s shot put, where Chukwuebuka Enekwechi finished sixth. Notably, Nigeria was not represented in the women’s shot put event, where Ogunleye secured gold. A host of athletics stars were present at the wedding ceremony of British 400m record holder Matthew Hudson-Smith in Birmingham, including Noah Lyles and his girlfriend Junelle Bromfield. Speedster Noah Lyles opened up on the future of athletics, having the support from track legends Carl Lewis and Usain Bolt, and why athletes need to start thinking outside performances.
- Alfred edged Richardson in 10.84s to 10.89s, qualifying with the fastest time overall and setting up a highly anticipated duel in the final.
- The Men’s Singles was won by Fan Zhendong of China, further cementing China’s superiority in the sport.
- These athletes, along with many others, will be looking to make their mark and secure a place in Olympic history.
- Other standout nations included Australia, Great Britain, and the Netherlands, all of which placed in the top ten.
- New records were also, broken in men’s events, notably the Long Jump, 400m and relays.
- In the 2022 Winter Games, held in Beijing, the U.S. was third in both the gold-medal count and overall medals, with nine golds and 25 overall.
- This outstanding achievement surpassed expectations and set new benchmarks for Australian Olympic success.
- Those who struggled through to the semis in their various events were muscled out by superior and better prepared competitors.
Adijat Olarinoye lifts Nigeria’s 1st GOLD medal in Birmingham
The qualification process for the Paris 2024 surfing event is rigorous and competitive. Surfers can qualify through several pathways, including the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour, the International Surfing Association (ISA) World Surfing Games, and continental competitions. She also became the only player to ever win a medal for Nigeria in Badminton at either the Olympics or Paralympics. The tides turned in Nigeria’s favour on Day 5 of the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris as Eniola Bolaji won a Bronze medal in the women’s Para Badminton Singles SL3 event by defeating Ukraine’s Oksana Kozyna in straight sets, 2-0 (21-9, 21-9). Every country comes to the Olympics with the aim of winning gold,” Ajunwa said. “The difference here is the support the two athletes received from their countries.
The first individual neutral athlete to medal in the Games was Viyaleta Bardzilouskaya of Belarus, who took silver in women’s trampoline. She is also the first female coach of an African team to record a win at the Olympics. The first and only coach of an African women’s team to record a win in the Preliminary rounds of the Olympics and an upset win at the Olympics against a top-ranked team, and the first and only female coach to qualify Nigeria for the Olympics.
This marks a significant improvement from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where China won 38 gold medals and 82 total medals. The Chinese team’s strong performance was driven by dominance in sports such as table tennis, badminton, and diving, where they swept all the gold medals. Rowing, by gold medals (three), and cycling, by overall medals (11), were the most successful disciplines for Team GB in Paris. Great Britain won three medals https://big-bet.org/ in three events in triathlon, including one gold, and five medals, including two golds, from six equestrian events, with every member of the equestrian team, and all but one member of the triathlon team bringing home a medal. Those heaping the blame at the doorsteps of the Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh must stop. The Minister has tried to exonerate himself, but one thinks this was not necessary.
Events
Of these, 14 were in individual events, while four were achieved as part of the Soviet team. Larisa Latynina, a Soviet gymnast, stands as the second most decorated Olympian with an impressive total of 18 medals. From the 300 metres, Egbunike started closing up, and outran Kitur for the gold.
Enefiok Udo-Obong, also known as Enee, is a Nigerian athlete who won two Olympic medals, a gold and a bronze, at the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics in the 4 x 400 men’s relay race. Jude Monye, a Nigerian athlete initially won the silver medal in the 4 x 400 meters relay at the 2000 Olympics before it was changed to gold after 12 years. This Nigerian sprinter won three World Indoor Championship medals, including an Olympic gold 2000 in the 4 x 400 relay, and holds the African indoor record with a personal best time of 44.63 seconds. She won Olympic gold at the 1996 Summer Olympics and became the first black African woman to win an Olympic gold medal in a field event.
Echikunwoke’s determination and talent paid off in her adopted country after negligence by Nigerian sports officials denied her a chance to compete at the Tokyo Olympics. Rounding out the list is China’s Pan Zhanle, who has earned 2 gold, 1 silver, and 0 bronze medals, highlighting China’s competitive edge in the pool. While they are top dogs in these two disciplines in Africa, they are overwhelmed at a global level, especially at the Olympics.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles 1996 Atlanta Olympics Gold Medalists
- The French team secured fifth place in the overall medal table with a total of 64 medals, comprising 16 gold, 26 silver, and 22 bronze.
- The event will be broadcasted globally, allowing viewers to experience the thrills and spills of Olympic surfing from the comfort of their homes.
- The 2024 Olympics started with an opening ceremony held outside a stadium, a historic first at the Olympics.
- 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.
- The sprinter was edged out of the bronze medal position by Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek, who had also beaten her to gold in the European final in June.
- Born in Ohio to Nigerian parents, Echikunwoke initially aspired to represent Nigeria.
- Despite having a strong roster of athletes, the closest Nigeria came to winning a medal was in athletics, where a few athletes made it to the finals but failed to reach the podium.
It implies that there’s no point in being upset over something that has already happened and cannot be reversed. Those dissipating energy on castigating the performance of the Nigerian contingent at the Olympics should take things easy with themselves. No matter the amplification of public commentary will turn back the hands of time or make the organizers award Nigeria honorary medals. That Nigerians feel disappointed because of the heavy financial investment in the competition is understandable. There is indeed an African saying to the effect that money must be invested in the quest for more money. Meanwhile, as Nigeria reflects on its disappointing performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics, there is hope that lessons can be learned for the future.
However, Antonio Pettigrew, who admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs, was stripped of his medal. The Olympics are underway in Paris, and there are many exciting events as countries battle for gold, silver, and bronze. This is among many other athletes and sports personnel who have earned one or more medals. Running phenom Noah Lyles narrowly notched the gold in a photo finish to the 100 meters, and Cole Hocker pulled off a stunning upset to give the U.S. a gold in the 1500 meters, coming from behind to beat the two favorites in the field.
Her perseverance paid off in Paris, where she secured a historic silver medal. While her achievement is undoubtedly a cause for celebration, it also serves as a stark reminder of the missed opportunities for Nigeria due to administrative shortcomings. Echikunwoke’s story highlights the complexities faced by athletes with dual citizenship and the crucial role of national sports federations in supporting their athletes. From Africa, Kenya made the continent proud, winning 4 gold, 2 silver and 5 bronze medals to place 17th. Dark horse Botswana shocked the Olympics family when its relatively unknown runner, Letsile Tebego (21), clinched the gold medal in the men’s 200m race and triggered off a public holiday back home with heavy cash rewards and two houses as gifts to boot.
- Regan Smith has also excelled, earning 2 gold, 3 silver, and 0 bronze medals.
- These victories contribute to the rich sports culture in both countries, encouraging future generations to pursue excellence in athletics.
- In a moment that will significantly impact Indian sports culture, Vinesh Phogat’s remarkable path to the women’s 57kg freestyle wrestling final was abruptly halted when she was disqualified before the final match for exceeding the weight limit by 100 grams.
- Chukwuebuka Enekwechi proved his sincerity of purpose as the first Nigerian to retain a shot put Gold medal at the Games.
- As the flames of the Olympic torch flickered out, the final curtain drew on the 2024 Olympics in a spectacular closing ceremony, which saw a handover to Los Angeles ahead of the 2028 Olympics.
- The 17-year-old’s dynamic routine, showcasing various intricate release-and-catch manoeuvres, thrilled the spectators who had gathered to cheer for a gymnast who had formerly competed for France.
- At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the athlete with the most medals won was Yefei Zhang.
- Usain Bolt, despite his impressive sprinting feats, doesn’t make the top five most decorated Olympic athletes.
Let’s remember that Team Nigeria put up a brilliant performance at the 13th African Games held recently in Ghana. They clinched 37 gold medals, 26 silver medals and 35 bronze medals to come second on the medals table. I believe that the bulk of the athletes that represented the country at the African Games were those that participated in the Olympics.
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.
The next Summer Games will hold in Los Angeles, California, the United States of America (USA), in 2028, making it the 4th time the country will host the global sporting community. The win was a proud moment for head coach Rene Wakama, the first coach (male or female) to qualify Nigeria for the quarterfinals of the Olympic Games, especially against a top-ranked team. Ofili surpassed Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith, who completed the race in second place with 22.28 seconds, and Gina Bass-Bittaye, who secured third place with 22.84 seconds. With this commanding performance, Ofili now focuses on the upcoming semi-final and potential final races on Monday to leave a lasting impact on her Olympic debut and potentially clinch a medal. In this context, Legit.ng highlights the most decorated athletes in the history of the multi-sport event.
In a patriarchal society, Kenya’s women have been in men’s shadows for a long time. However, at the Paris Olympics, Team Kenya’s women won seven medals while the men won four. This is the first time since the country began winning medals at the Olympics in 1964 that women have outshone men. However, these games also revealed issues and developments that need to be debated in order to inform preparations for the next games in Los Angeles in 2028. 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. And since Russia was banned for this year’s games, any medals garnered by its few athletes competing as individual neutral athletes won’t be tallied as part of the country’s overall haul.
The 27-year-old’s throw of 66.41m was significantly below her lifetime best of 71.88m achieved at the beginning of June. This mark also fell well short of the 73.00m qualification standard set by World Athletics for the event. Nemour from Algeria made history as the inaugural African gymnast to claim an Olympic medal by clinching the gold with a mesmerising performance on the uneven bars at the Paris Games on Sunday, captivating the audience at Bercy Arena. According to Britannica, Michael Phelps, often hailed as the “king of medals” in the Olympics, is the most decorated athlete in the Games’ history. During these two and a half weeks, the world’s top athletes will converge to strive for a place in history, seeking to leave their mark and aiming for gold.
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.
