Team Nigeria sent 88 competitors to the Paris Summer Games to compete in 12 separate events. Thus far through the competition they have not been able to secure any medals but they will have a number of opportunities to change that in the final week. Find below a list of results of Nigerian athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics up to now.
Athletics
Nigeria is represented by 36 athletes, 18 men and 18 women, competing in 19 different athletic events. From the men, Favour Ashe and Kayinsola Ajayi were able to qualify for the semi-finals of the 100 meters but couldn’t make it to the event’s final round.
Udodi Onwuzurike still has the chance to make the men’s 200m final, after winning his quarter-final heat with a time of 20.51. The semi-finals for the 200m will be held on August 7th.
In the men’s 400m, Nigeria had 3 athletes competing of which only Chidi Okezie made it past the first round. However, after securing a place in the quarter-finals, he was unable to claim a spot in the semis, finishing 5th in his heat.
From the women, Favour Ofili came closest to winning a medal for Nigeria with her 6th place finish in the 200m finals. Ella Onojuvwevwo, who has already qualified for the semi-finals in the 400m, is the nation’s next big hope for a podium finish. She will be in action today in her semi-final heat.
Badminton
Anuoluwapo Juwon Opeyoriwas the lone Nigerian qualifier for the Summer Games in badminton but had a short tournament, falling in the group stages of men’s singles tournament. He lost to Li Shifeng from China (0-2) and then Tobias Kunzi of Switzerland (0-2) to be eliminated from the competition.
Basketball
Nigeria qualified for the women’s 5×5 tournament by finishing in the top two eligible nations at the 2024 Olympic Qualifying Tournaments in Antwerp, Belgium.
They managed to win two of their group stage matches, beating Australia 75-62 in their opener and then Canada in their third game, 79-70. They went up against hosts France in their second game, losing comprehensively by the score of 54-75.
With two wins and a loss, Team Nigeria has qualified for the quarter-finals of the tournament where they will face Team USA. The game will take place on August 7 at the Accor Arena, Paris.
While the US will be overwhelming favourites, the Nigerian has been playing some of their best basketball and will be looking to make a historic upset.
Boxing
While Team Nigeria had 3 boxers qualify for the Summer Games, only 1 ended up competing. Cynthia Ogunsemilore, seeded 4th in the Women’s 60 kg event, was disqualified for failing a drug test before her bout. Dolapo Omole suffered a knee injury before the games which rendered him unavailable for the men’s featherweight division.
Olaitan Olaore fought in the men’s heavyweight division but lost in the first round to Aibek Oralbay from Kazakhstan 0-5.
Football
The Nigerian women’s football team was placed in Group C of the tournament with Spain, Brazil and Japan. They failed to win any of their three group stage matches, losing 0-1 to both Spain and Brazil and 1-3 to Japan. The three losses eliminated them from the competition.
Swimming
Two swimmers from Nigeria qualified for Paris in Tobi Sijuade and Adaku Nwandu. Sijuade competed in the 50m Men’s 50 m freestyle but ranked 43rd in the heats to miss out on the next round. Nwandu who was in the Women’s 50 m freestyle, also failed to make the semis, after finishing in 34th place.
Table Tennis
Nigeria entered four table tennis players into Paris 2024 in Quadri Aruna, Olajide Omotayo, Offiong Edem and Fatimo Bello.
Quadri Aruna and Olajide Omotayo participated in the men’s singles tournament. They both lost in their first round matchups, Aruna 3-4 to Andrei Eduard Ionescu of Romania and Olajide Omotayo 0-4 to Noshad Alamian from Iran.
The women didn’t fare much better, as Edem fell in the first round to Brazilian Bruna Takahashi 0-4 and Bello to Jia Nan Yuan of China.
