Cameroon made their nation’s sixteenth consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics this year, sending a total of 6 participants in 4 sports. While they haven’t been able to secure any podium finishes, Team Cameroon did have a number of highlight performances from their athletes. Let’s take a look at all the results and best moments from Cameroonian entrants.
Emmanuel Eseme
Eseme entered the Summer Games as arguably the country’s best chance at winning a medal in 2024. He had been having a great year thus far, winning the gold medal in the men’s 100 meters event at the 2023 African Games held in Ghana. He had also placed third at the 2023 Diamond League in Silesia, Poland in the 100m.
He got off to a terrific start in his men’s 100m round 1 heat in Paris, winning with a time of 9.98 seconds. This was a season’s best for Eseme and put him into the semi-finals. Unfortunately, in the semis, the 30-year-old could only run a time of 10.00 which wasn’t enough to secure him a place in the finals.
Despite the inability to qualify for the final, Eseme showed that he could compete with the best and was one of the fastest men from Africa. It seems unlikely he will be able to take part in another Summer Games given his age but will likely still compete in world and African championships in coming years.
Linda Angounou
The 31-year-old Linda Angounou took part in the 400m hurdles at the Summer Games but failed to make it past her group stage heat. She finished in 8th place but was able to improve upon the national record of 55.94s, which she ran in Troyes last year. Her new personal best is now 55.69s.
Sarah Hanffou
Sarah Hanffou qualified for the women’s table tennis tournaments at the games by winning a spot in the second available quota places at the 2024 African Qualification Tournament in Kigali, Rwanda. This was her third appearance at the Summer Games, after making it back in 2012 and 2020. In 2012, she was able to defeat Tvin Moumjoghlian in the preliminary round, before losing 4 – 1 to Xian Yi Fang in the first round.
This year followed a similar route, as Hanffou was able to beat her first opponent, Chelsea Edghill from Guyana. She won by the score of 4-1, dominating her opponent in most sets.
She then went on to face the Taiwanese Cheng I-ching and was severely outmatched, losing 0-4. Cheng I-ching went on to make it to the quarter-finals, where she lost to eventual winner and world no. 1, Sun Yingsha.
Richelle Soppi Mbella
Mbella made huge strides in her career trajectory last year when she clinched a silver medal in Women’s +78 kg Judo at the African Championships in Casablanca, Morocco. She went one better earlier this year, securing a gold medal at the 45th African Championships in Egypt and then followed up with another gold at the Marrakech Judo Open.
Her Summer Games didn’t go quite as well however, as she faced up against Akira Sone in the round of 32. The gold medal winner from the 2020 Tokyo Games made quick work of Mbella, beating her 10-00 in the bout.
Giorgio Armani Nguichie Kamseu Kamogne
Kamogne competed in the Men’s 100 m freestyle swimming competition in which he was able to clock a time of 1:03.42 in his preliminary heat. This was only enough for 78th place, which couldn’ get him into the semi-final.
Grace Manuela Nguelo’O
Grace Manuela Nguelo’O qualified for the Summer Games in Women’s 50 m freestyle swimming competition. Similar to Kamogne, she wasn’t able to get past the initial round after swimming a 30.98s heat which put her in 66th place.
