As the 2024 Paris Olympics draw to a close, concerns are growing over Team Nigeria’s chances of securing any medals. Despite high hopes and extensive preparations, the team faces formidable challenges that could result in another medal-less outing.
Nigeria’s athletes had shown promise in the lead-up to the Games, with standout performances in various qualifying events. However, the competition at the Olympics is on a different level, featuring the world’s best athletes. Historically, Nigeria has struggled to translate its continental successes into Olympic medals, and this year might be no different.
As the Games wind down, the Nigerian sports community is hoping for a miracle. However, the odds suggest another barren outing might be on the horizon, continuing the country’s struggle for Olympic glory.
Currently, there is significant doubt over Team Nigeria’s chances of winning a medal, as the team has been eliminated from nine events out of the 12 entered for, either through painful losses or administrative lapses. Top medal hopefuls like Olympic captain Anuoluwapo Opeyori, Blessing Oborududu, and Aruna Quadri have exited the Games without medals alongside seventy-seven other athletes.
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Disappointments in track and field
Favour Ofili, who ran in lane nine, finished 6th in the Women’s 200 meter final with a time of 22.24 seconds. Despite her season’s best of 22.05 seconds in the semifinals, she couldn’t secure a medal. As a first-time Olympian, Ofili made history as the first Nigerian woman to qualify for the 200m final in 28 years, the last being Mary Onyali who won bronze in Atlanta 1996.
Udodi Chudi Onwuzurike failed to advance from the men’s 200m semi-final, finishing seventh with a time of 20.72 seconds. His compatriot, Ezekiel Nathaniel, also fell short in the 400m hurdles, placing fifth in the semi-finals with a time of 48.65 seconds, a significant drop from his performance in the heats. Notably, Nathaniel had made history by breaking a 12-year record at the Olympic Games by qualifying for the 400m hurdles semi-finals.
Setbacks in wrestling, badminton, boxing and weightlifting
In wrestling, Tokyo 2020 Silver medallist Blessing Oborududu, who had raised hopes of winning at least a bronze, lost 3-0 to her Japanese opponent in the 68kg Freestyle bronze medal match. Christianah Ogunsanya also faced a setback, losing her second-round match in the women’s freestyle 53kg to Mongolia’s Khulan Batkhuyag to exit the Games.
Anuoluwapo Opeyori, Africa’s top badminton player, was no match for his Asian opponents and exited the Games without winning a game. In boxing, Olaitan Olatoye was eliminated from the heavyweight category (92kg) after losing 5-0 to Kazakhstan’s Oralbay Aibek.
Folashade Rafiatu Lawal narrowly missed a podium finish in the women’s 59 kg weightlifting event, placing 5th with a total lift of 230 kg in the Snatch and Clean & Jerk. She came within 5 kg of earning a bronze medal, despite setting a new personal best in the Clean & Jerk by lifting an additional 5 kg.
Similarly, Odunayo Adekuoroye was defeated 8-10 by China’s Hong Kexin in the women’s freestyle 57 kg wrestling event at the 2024 Olympic Games.
Failures in table tennis, football and long jump
All competitors for Team Nigeria in table tennis, including Fatima Bello, Aruna Quadri, Olajide Omotayo, and Effiong Edem, were eliminated from the singles events. Their exits marked the first time since table tennis was introduced at the 1988 Olympics that no Nigerian table tennis player registered at least one win.
The Super Falcons, returning to women’s Olympic football after 16 years, failed to make an impact in Paris. Despite a promising run at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, they equalled their worst Olympic record set in 2008, losing their first two matches before a 3-1 loss in the final game.
Medal contenders Ese Brume, Ruth Usoro, and Prestina Ochonogor also missed the podium in Thursday’s Long Jump finals. Brume secured fifth place with a leap of 6.70m, Usoro placed 10th with a jump of 6.58m, and Ochonogor finished last with a jump of 6.24m as the trio further extinguished the country’s medal hope.
Bright spots in basketball
The country’s women’s basketball team, the D’Tigress, had been a shining light. They made history by reaching the quarter-finals after defeating fifth-ranked Canada, a feat no African team (male or female) had achieved in an Olympic tournament.
This year also marked the first time the team recorded two wins at the Olympics, a significant improvement from previous African teams, which had only one win in 37 games played in the women’s tournament. However, their remarkable Olympic journey ended with a quarter-final defeat by the defending champions and world No. 1, the United States, with a score of 88–74.
A glimmer of hope extinguished
World record holder Tobi Amusan had raised Nigeria’s hopes of a podium finish with a strong victory in the heats of the women’s 100m hurdles ahead of the finals on Saturday. However, that hope was extinguished following her failure to qualify for the final of the 100m hurdles event.
Amusan finished third in her heat with a time of 12.55 seconds on Friday. Despite missing out on the two automatic qualifying spots, she hoped to advance as one of the fastest losers. Unfortunately, her time was not sufficient to secure a place in the final eight.
Earlier on Friday, the Nigerian men’s 4×400 relay team, consisting of Emmanuel Ojeli, Ezekiel Nathaniel, Dubem Amene, and Chidi Okezie, finished second in their semifinal heat but were disqualified for a lane infringement.
Following these setbacks, there is a very slim hope for the athletes remaining in the Games who are aiming to turn the fortunes of the country around and secure a place on the podium to prevent from mirroring the records of 1952 Helsinki, 1956 Melbourne, 1960 Rome, 1968 Mexico, 1980 Moscow, 1988 Seoul and most recently, 2012 London where Team Nigeria exited the Games without a medal.
The 2024 Paris Olympics have been a challenging event for Team Nigeria, highlighting the need for improved preparations and support for athletes. As the Games come to an end, the nation looks forward to future competitions with the hope of overcoming these obstacles and achieving Olympic glory.
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