The 2024 Olympics is happening in Paris, France, the city of love and the heart of Europe. This year’s Olympics has taken a turn of events, as athletes from participating countries across the globe are proving themselves to be actual opponents, all aiming for the gold, silver and bronze medals.
Nigerian athletes are not strangers to these tactics as they have brought in their A-game this year, challenging their opponents to have their names written in the annals of Olympic history.
This year, while some Nigerian athletes have secured medals for themselves and in the name of the country in the past, we can only hope those in the 2024 Paris Olympics can bring some medals and glory home to Nigeria.
However, till then, here are some Nigerian athletes who have performed excellently at the 2024 Paris Olympics and are actively competing for the Olympic medals.
- Samuel Ogazi
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An 18-year-old Nigerian athlete named Samuel Ogazi has, for the first time in 36 years, become the first Nigerian to qualify for the men’s 400-metre final at the Olympics. The track athlete scored 44.4 seconds (personal best), finishing third in the heat 3 of the men’s 400-metre semi-final at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
- Favour Ofili
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Favour Ofili, a Nigerian athlete, has successfully qualified for the women’s 200-metre semi-final at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She ran 22.05 seconds (personal best), winning the heat 6 of the event. She became the first Nigerian woman in 28 years to reach the 200m final, tying with Mary Onyali, who did the same in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Unfortunately, the Nigerian athlete was denied the opportunity to partake in the 100-metre race due to the administrative inefficiency of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, which refused and the Nigerian Olympic Committee.
- D’Tigress
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The Nigerian women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, have become the first African basketball team (male or female) to make it to the Olympics basketball quarterfinals after winning the basketball game against Canada (79-70) in a Women’s basketball game at the 2024 Summer Paris Olympics.
- Blessing Oborududu
Blessing Oborududu, a Nigerian athlete and Tokyo Olympics Silver medalist may bring home the bronze medal after she faces Pak Sol Gum of North Korea in the 68kg women’s wrestling event. This is a chance for Blessing to regain confidence after losing her semi-final battle against Meerim Zhumanazarova of Kyrgyzstan.
- Ese Brume, Ruth Usoro and Prestina Ochonogor
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Ese Brume has led three Nigerian women into the women’s long jump Olympics final, marking it the first time in history for Nigerians. The Nigerian long jump queen secured the spot by leaping a mind-blowing distance of 6.76m, qualifying her for the third consecutive Olympic final. Usoro and Ochonogor will also meet Brume as they are among the top 12 qualifiers in the long jump final at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Read » Nigerian Athletes With A Chance of Earning A Medal At The 2024 Paris Olympics on YNaija
