The new edition of the Olympic Games will run from July 26 to August 11, 2024. All qualified nations, including Nigeria, will be in Paris to participate in the upcoming international multi-sport event.
Since 1952 (except 1976), Nigeria has participated in all Olympic games, and despite having only 27 medals to show for it, we’re there again in this 2024 edition. As we look forward to Nigeria’s action at this year’s edition, this article revisits all the times Nigeria won at the Olympics.
1964
Nigeria won her first bronze medal in Tokyo in 1964 through Nojeem Maiyegun. Nojeem won the bronze medal in the men’s light middleweight category.
1972
Isaac Ikhouria, a Nigerian boxer in the men’s light-heavyweight category, won a bronze medal in München, West Germany 1972.
1984
A five-person relay team won Nigeria’s first-ever medal in athletics at the Olympics in the men’s 4×400 metres race. The group, made up of Sunday Uti, Innocent Egbunike, Moses Ugbesien, and Rotimi Peters, won the bronze medal with a winning time of 2:59.32. The time record was an African record that stood until 1996.
Also in 1984, Peter Konyyegwachie, a Nigerian boxer, won a silver medal in the men’s featherweight category.
1992
The Nigerian men’s 4×100 metres relay team (Oluyemi Kayode, Chidi Imoh, Olapade Adeniken, Davidson Ezinwa, Osmond Ezinwa) won a silver medal. The 4×100 metres relay for women (Mary Onyali, Christy Opara-Thompson, Beatrice Utondo, Faith Idehen) won a bronze medal.
Men’s heavyweight boxer David Izonritei won a silver medal. Richard Igbineghu also won silver for Nigeria in the men’s super-heavyweight category.
1996
Nigeria claimed its first Olympic gold medal this year in the women’s long jump through Chioma Ajunwa (now a Nigerian police officer). The Super Eagles also won a gold medal in football.
A silver medal came through the women’s 4×400 metres relay (the first since 1984). The relay team had Bisi Afolabi, Fatima Yusuf, Charity Opara, Falilat Ogunkoya.
Mary Onyali and Calister Ubah won a bronze medal in the women’s 200-metre category. Falilat Ogunkoya, Fatima Yusuf and Bisi Afolabi won a bronze medal in the 400-metre category. Duncan Dokiwari won another bronze medal in the men’s boxing super-heavyweight category.
2000
Nigeria claimed the gold medal in the men’s 4×400 metres relay, a silver medal in the women’s 100 metres hurdles, and another in the women’s weightlifting heavyweight category.
2004
Nigeria won two bronze medals—one in the men’s 4×100 metres relay and the other in men’s 4×400 metres relay categories.
2008
Nigeria won three silver and two bronze medals in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.
The women’s team won a silver 4×100 metres relay. Blessing Okagbare got a silver medal in the women’s long jump, and the Super Eagles also got one in the men’s football category. Men’s taekwondo (Chika Chukwumerije) won a bronze medal, and so did Maryam Usman for the weightlifting women’s super-heavyweight category.
2016
The Super Eagles won a bronze medal in the men’s football category.
2020
Ese Brume won a bronze medal in the women’s long jump category, and Blessing Oborududu won a silver medal in the women’s freestyle wrestling light-heavyweight category.
