The 2024 Olympics just ended on Sunday in Paris, France, and no Nigerian won a medal, but Nigerians did win medals, for other countries, of course.
While other countries are fielding thousands of athletes, Nigeria, according to the Sports Development Minister Senator John Owan-Enoh, only 88 represented Team Nigeria.
CONVERSEER reports that a chunk of the 88 athletes were for football and basketball which are team sports.
Despite a budget of 12 billion (N9 billion for the Olympics and N3 billion for the Paralympics), as stated by Owan-Enoh, Nigeria recorded the worst in the Olympics since the 2012 London Olympics, where the country also failed to win any medals.
Does it mean the country does not have talented athletes? Not at all – some represented other countries, and eight of them won gold, silver, and bronze in other sports.
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That being said, below are the Nigerians or those with Nigerian heritage who won medals for other countries at the 2024 Paris Olympics:
1. Yemisi Ogunleye (Germany):
Event: Women’s Shot Put
Medal: Gold
Ogunleye, born in Germany to a Nigerian father, made history by winning the gold medal in the women’s shot put at the Paris 2024 Olympics. This victory marked Germany’s first gold in the event since 1996.
2. Samu Omorodion (Spain):
Event: Men’s Football
Medal: Gold
Omorodion, who represented Spain, won a gold medal in men’s football at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Although he is still eligible to represent Nigeria, Omorodion has been making his mark with Spain.
3. Barthelemy Chinenyeze (France):
Event: Men’s Volleyball
Medal: Gold
Chinenyeze is a French volleyball player who gained prominence by leading the French national team to a gold medal in men’s volleyball. His outstanding performance has established him as a key player in the sport.
4. Femi “Bam” Adebayo (USA):
Event: Men’s Basketball
Medal: Gold
Adebayo, often referred to simply as Bam Adebayo, played a crucial role in the USA men’s basketball team winning the gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Born to a Nigerian father, Adebayo is a prominent NBA player known for his defensive prowess and versatility on the court.
5. Salwa Eid Naser (Bahrain):
Event: Women’s 400m
Medal: Silver
Eid Naser, originally born as Ebelechukwu Agbapuonwu in Nigeria, claimed the silver medal in the 400m for Bahrain. Naser, who switched allegiance to Bahrain in 2014, continues to be a dominant force in track and field, adding to her collection of international medals.
6. Annette Echikunwoke (USA):
Event: Women’s Hammer Throw
Medal: Silver
Echikunwoke, who was born in Ohio to Nigerian parents, won a silver medal in the hammer throw for the United States. Her performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics added to her growing reputation in field events.
7. Michael Olise (France):
Event: Men’s Football
Medal: Silver
Olise, born to a Nigerian father, was a key player for France in the men’s football competition at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The team won the silver medal, with Olise’s contributions being crucial to their success.
8. Victoria Ohuruogu (Great Britain):
Event: 4x400m Relay
Medal: Bronze
Ohuruogu, representing Great Britain, won a bronze medal in the women’s 4x400m relay at the Paris 2024 Olympics. She is the younger sister of Christine Ohuruogu, a former Olympic gold medalist, and has followed in her footsteps by contributing to Britain’s success in the relay.
CONVERSEER reports that the United States of America came first with 126 medals (40 gold, 44 silver, and 42 bronze), followed closely by China with 91 medals (40 gold), and Japan came third with 45 medals.
