Countdown to Paris 2024: X-raying Nigeria’s Hall of Fame at Olympics

Since Nigeria’s debut at the Olympic Games in 1952, the nation has only recorded three gold, 11 silver and 13 bronze medals. As Team Nigeria is set for the 33rd Olympics scheduled to kick off on July 26 in Paris, France, Sporting Tribune’s GANIYU SALMAN, in this report, xrays the list of Nigeria’s medallists at the quadrennial Games so far.

After the establishment of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) on May 26, 1951, Nigeria made her Olympic debut at the Helsinki ‘52 and also featured at the 1956 and 1960 Olympics without making the podium.

Nojeem Maiyegun broke the jinx at the Tokyo ‘64 Olympics when he won a bronze medal in the light middleweight class following his loss in the semi-final.

Maiyegun fondly called Omo Oloja had sent three opponents packing before he lost to Frenchman, Joseph Gonzales in the semi-final, but the defeat could not prevent him from holding the enviable record of being Nigeria’s first Olympic medallist.

No Nigerian athlete made the podium at the Mexico ‘68 Olympics while the nation bagged her second Olympics medal at the Munich ‘72 Olympics through another boxer, Isaac Ikhouria.

Ikhouria, who later coached the national boxing team also clinched the bronze in the light heavyweight category, after he lost in the semi-final to Cuban Gilberto Garrilo on points.

Nigeria boycotted 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Canada while no Nigerian athlete made the podium at the Moscow ‘80 Olympics.

This time, there was an improvement at the Los Angeles ‘84 Olympics as Nigeria won her first silver medal incidentally through another boxer, Peter Konyegwachie.

Konyegwachie, against all odds, got to the final in the featherweight class before he lost on points to American Medrick Taylor.

Also at the Los Angeles ‘84, the quartet of Sunday Uti, Moses Ugbusien, Rotimi Peters and Innocent Egbunike won the bronze in the men’s 4x400m relay.

Nigeria’s participation at the Seoul ‘88 Olympics was nothing to write home about, but the near sad story changed at the Barcelona ‘92 Olympics, when Nigeria bagged a silver medal through Olapade Adeniken, Davidson Ezinwa, Chidi Imoh, Oluyemi Kayode and Osmond Ezinwa (heats) in the men’s 4x100m relay.

Also at the Barcelona ‘92, David Izonritei, won a silver medal for Team Nigeria in boxing. He lost in the final of the heavyweight category to the fireworks of Cuban Felix Savon.

His teammate, Richard Igbineghu, also settled for the silver medal after losing to another Cuban, Roberto Balado in the super heavyweight class.

Also at the Barcelona ‘92, Beatrice Utondu, Christy Opara-Thompson, Mary Onyali, Faith Idehen bagged a bronze medal in the women’s 4x100m relay.

It was a memorable outing for Nigeria as the search for elusive gold medal ended at the Atlanta ‘96 Olympics.

Chioma Ajunwa blazed the trail. The Imo State-born Ajunwa stunned the world in the long jump with a jump of 7.12m at first attempt to become the first Nigerian athlete to win a gold medal at the Olympics.

Also at the Atlanta ‘96 Olympics, Team Nigeria won the soccer gold through the Nwankwo Kanu-led Dream Team I, as Nigeria outclassed Argentina 3-2 in the final.

Other members of the squad were Daniel Amokachi, Emmanuel Amuneke, Tijjani Babangida, Celestine Babayaro, Emmanuel Babayaro, Teslim Fatusi, Victor Ikpeba, Dosu Joseph, Nwankwo Kanu, Garba Lawal, Abiodun Obafemi, Kingsley Obiekwu, Uche Okechukwu, Austin Jay-Jay Okocha, Sunday Oliseh, Mobi Oparaku, Wilson Oruma and Taribo West.
Also at the Atlanta ‘96, Nigeria won a silver medal in athletics through Olabisi Afolabi, Fatima Yusuf, Charity Opara and Falilat gunkoya in the women’s 4x400m relay.

Mary Onyali, also won a bronze medal in the 200m as Falilat Ogunkoya achieved the same feat in the women’s 400m.

Another boxer, Duncan Dokiwari, won the bronze in the super heavyweight class following his loss in the semi-final to Paea Wolfgramm of Tonga narrowly on points.

It was also a sweet story at the Sydney 2000 Olympics as Glory Alozie won a silver medal in the women’s 100m hurdles, while Nigeria bagged another silver medal through Clement Chukwu, Jude Monye, Sunday Bada and Enefiok Udo-Obong in the men’s 4x400m relay.

Interestingly, the American team which came first was later stripped of the gold medal by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on April 10, 2008, as a result of dope scandal to make Nigeria the true winner of the event.

Also at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, Ruth Ogbeifo, proved many bookmakers wrong in weightlifting as she clinched a silver medal in the women’s 75 kg category.

Nigeria’s partipation at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games was equally an eventful outing though, none of the two bronze medals won by Team Nigeria came from an individual sport.

Olusoji Fasuba, Uchenna Emedolu, Aaron Egbele, Deji Aliu got the bronze in the men’s 4x100m relay as the quartet of James Godday, Musa Audu, Saul Weigopwa and Enefiok Udo-Obong settled for the bronze as well in the 4x400m men’s relay.

Unarguably, the high point of Nigeria’s participation at the Beijing 2008 Olympics was the silver medal won by the Dream Team III. The Nigerian team lost 1-2 to the Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina in the final.

Members of the silver-winning soccer team were the late Olubayo Adefemi, Dele Adeleye, Oluwafemi Ajilore, Efe Ambrose, Victor Anichebe, Onyekachi Apam, Emmanuel Ekpo, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Promise Isaac, Monday James, Sani Kaita, Chinedu Obasi, Victor Nsofor Obinna, Peter Odemwingie, Chibuzor Okonkwo, Solomon Okoronkwo, Oladapo Olufemi and Ambrose Vanzekin.

Also at the Beijing 2008, Chika Chukwumerije, rose to limelight as he won the bronze in the men’s taekwondo +80 kg class to become the first blackman to win an Olympic medal in martial arts. The 2007 All Africa Games gold medallist, had controversially lost in the semi-final to European champion, Alexandros Nikolaidis of Greece.

Chukwumerije, turned out to be a victim of technical error, as Nikolaidis was credited with undeserved points towards the end of the bout.

Blessing Okagbare secured a bronze medal for Nigeria in the women’s long jump as the team of Franca Idoko, Gloria Kemasuode, Halimat Ismaila, Oludamola Osayomi and Agnes Osazuwa settled for the bronze in the women’s 4x100m relay also at the Beijing 2008 Olympics. The bronze was later upgraded to silver by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in December 2016 following the disqualification of Russia who won the gold over anti-doping rule violations, while Belgium emerged the true winner of the event.

Nigeria also got a medal by default through weightlifting, after the Beijing 2008 as Maryam Usman, who finished in fifth position in the women’s +75kg category eventually became a medallist nine years later.

Reason: In 2017, Usman moved to the third position as the silver and bronze medallists winners [Olha Korobka of Ukraine and Mariya Grabovetskaya of Kazakhstan] were suspended in August 2016 after testing positive for a banned substance – dehydrochlormethyl testosterone.

Usman, a four-time African champion who had a total lift of 265kg at the Beijing 2008 was presented with the bronze medal by the president, Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Engineer Habu Gumel, in Abuja on September 8, 2017.

“The fact that I got this showed that hardwork has its reward and honesty pays. I am more than excited to have this medal, which is a result of my hard work.

“Waiting for nine years to know that I actually could have won it felt just the same as finishing on the podium in Beijing. It shows that if those banned athletes had competed fairly without drugs, I would have beaten them.

“I am happy that it [this honour] was only delayed and not denied. I feel happy and fulfilled as an Olympian,” the 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist had said.

Nigeria’s participation at the London 2012 Olympics stunned many pundits as none of the athletes made the podium despite the pedigree of the stars on parade for Nigeria.

At the Rio 2016 Olympics, it was almost another miserable outing for Team Nigeria but for the bronze medal won by the soccer team captained by John Obi Mikel.

The Samson Siasia-piloted side rallied to a 3-2 victory over Honduras in the third place match.

Other members of the bronze-winning team were: Daniel Akpeyi, Muenfuh Sincere, Kingsley Madu, Shehu Abdullahi, Saturday Erimuya, William Troost-Ekong, Aminu Umar, Oghenekaro Etebo, Imoh Ezekiel, Junior Ajayi, Popoola Saliu, Umar Sadiq, Azubuike Okechukwu, Ndifreke Udo, Stanley Amuzie, Usman Mohammed and Emmanuel Daniel.
The story at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics was a bit better as Team Nigeria this time, came back home with one silver won by a women’s freestyle wrestler, Blessing Oborududu and a bronze medal won by Ese Brume in the women’s long jump.

Brume at the Tokyo 2020 won Nigeria’s first medal with a jump of 6.97m, while Oborududu settled for the silver as she bowed to perennial albatross, Mensah-Stock in the women’s freestyle 68kg wrestling final.

The question is, will Nigeria win its fourth Olympic gold at Paris 2024? The die is cast!