Once again, the recently concluded Paris Olympics has reaffirmed the continent’s rich sporting legacy, with African athletes shining across a diverse range of disciplines. The following is a list of 10 unique milestones that African athletes achieved in Paris.
Paris 2024 hosted a veritable parade of African excellence, where the continent’s athletes carved out some unforgettable medal moments.
Africa’s enduring dominance in the marathon was at the heart of this success. Despite the participation of marathon legends like Eliud Kipchoge and Kenenisa Bekele, the marathon saw new heroes rise and records fall.
Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola stormed to gold, with Somalia-born Belgian Samir Abdi second and Kenya’s resilient Benson Kipruto third, marking a new era of marathon champions. On the women’s side, Ethiopian-born Dutch sensation Sifan Hassan showcased her relentless spirit, securing a hard-fought gold after winning two earlier bronzes in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres with Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa and Kenya’s Hellen Obiri battling their way to silver and bronze, respectively.
Yet, the African story in Paris wasn’t just about the marathon. The Games revealed a spectrum of African talent stretching far beyond track and field.
Here, we spotlight ten extraordinary milestones that Africans achieved in Paris.
David de Pina, Cabo Verde – First Cabo Verde Olympic medal
28-year-old David de Pina punched his way to glory in Paris. De Pina’s bronze in the 51kg boxing flyweight category marked Cabo Verde’s first-ever Olympic medal.
The archipelago nation of about 500,000 people has been making waves in sports, especially after reaching the quarter-finals in the 2023 African Cup of Nations, a second quarter-final appearance since its debut in the competition in 2013. The Olympic medal adds confidence to its growing sports ambitions and validates its presence and excellence in the international sports space. The Paris Olympics were de Pina’s second after he made his debut in Tokyo in 2020.
Letsile Tebogo, Botswana – First Olympic gold
Letsile Tebogo’s 19.41 seconds electrifying sprint in the 200m is perhaps the most exciting memory that many Africans will take away from Paris, especially because he became the first African to win the event on the Olympic stage. The young star improved his own African record by 0.04, which he set last year in London. Besides shunning the limelight, unlike pre-race favourite, USA’s Noah Lyles, the 21-year-old is now ranked 5th in the world’s all-time 100 m times list. Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi declared a public holiday for half a day on Friday, August 9, in honour of Tebogo’s exploits.
Cindy Winner Djankeu Ngamba, Cameroon – First Refugee Medal
Since the International Olympic Committee first allowed the participation of an exclusive refugee team at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the team achieved the greatest fete in Paris when Cindy Winner Djankeu Ngamba, a Cameroonian refugee currently living in the UK, secured the team’s first gold medal. The 25-year-old beat French boxer Davina Michel in the women’s 75kg quarterfinals. According to NBC News, Ngamaba was granted refugee status in 2021 because she could have been imprisoned for being gay in Cameroon.
Kaylia Nemour, Algeria – First African Olympic Medallist in gymnastics
Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour bagged the continent’s first medal in gymnastics, a gold, after topping former champion Qui Qiyuan and other big contenders, including Suni Lee, in the Women’s Uneven Bars Final. At just 17, Nemour, a French-born Algerian, began representing Algeria this year after facing problems with France’s national Olympic confederation. Her breathtaking performance on the asymmetric bars and complex release-and-catch tactics earned her widespread acclaim. Her success in Paris could help inspire the growth of gymnastics on the continent.
Nigeria’s Women’s Basketball team, the First African Basketball team in the Olympic quarterfinals
When the International Basketball Federation, FIBA, named D’Tigress coach Rena Wakama as the best coach of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, it was a deserved recognition of the achievements of her team’s road to and performance at the Olympics.
The Nigerian national team made history by becoming the first Olympic team from Africa, male or female, to make the quarterfinals in the Olympics. Despite losing to the US in the quarters, vital wins over Canada and Australia confirmed the team’s immense potential in the global women’s basketball space.
South Sudan’s men’s basketball – Olympic debut
Despite not making it past the group stages, South Sudan’s men’s basketball team also left their mark at the Olympics. Given the young republic’s challenges, including prolonged civil wars and inadequate access to resources such as training facilities, the team made its Olympic debut by securing a win against Puerto Rico. Despite losing 103-86 to a US side packed with NBA stars, their participation and spirited fight for a spot have left many acknowledging their effort and betting on the future of the team beyond Paris.
Tatjana Smith, South Africa – gold medallist 100m breaststroke
The South African swimmer claimed Africa’s first gold medal in Paris when he won the 100m breaststroke at 1:05.28. The experienced Olympian also earned a silver in the 200m breaststroke. While she has formerly announced retirement from competitive swimming, her performance in Paris highlights South Africa’s immense potential in aquatic sports.
Imane Khelif, Algeria – Olympic gold medallist, women’s welterweight division
Despite suffering intense scrutiny and bullying online over her gender, Algerian Imane Khelif secured gold after she beat China’s Yang Liu 5:0 in the finals of the women’s welterweight division.
Morocco – First Olympic Medal in Football
Morocco secured their first-ever Olympic medal in men’s football with a resounding 6-0 triumph over neighbours and rivals Egypt in the bronze medal match. The Atlas Lions produced a scintillating brand of football that left the Pharaohs utterly outclassed.
The victory completed a remarkable turnaround for Morocco, who had been denied a place in the gold medal match after a heartbreaking late defeat to Spain in the semi-finals. Spain beat hosts France to win the gold medal match, which points to the possibility of the North Africans emerging champions had they reached the final.
Soufiane Rahimi, Morocco – Olympic Football Top Scorer Award Winner
When the history of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games is written, Morocco’s Soufiane Rahimi’s name will be up there. The 28-year-old striker etched his name in Olympic football history, clinching the top scorer award for a remarkable tally of 8 goals. That effectively makes him the first African to win the award.
His exceptional performance throughout the tournament was capped with a brace in Morocco’s 6-0 victory over Egypt in the bronze medal match. Along the way, he claimed another record by becoming the first player in the competition’s history to score in six consecutive matches.
Special mentions:
Faith Kipyegon (Kenya)
The only athlete to win 3 consecutive Olympic Games gold medals in the 1500m race, In Paris, she timed 3:51:29 to set an Olympic record. She also won silver in the 5,000m race, making her one of the headlines for the Paris 2024 story.
Beatrice Chebet (Kenya)
The 10,000-metre World Record holder became the first woman to claim the double by striking gold in the 5,000-metre and 10,000-meter runs since Ethiopian great Tirunesh Dibaba achieved the feat in 2008 in Beijing.
Emmanuel Wanyonyi (Kenya)
The 20-year-old won the 800m Olympic gold, becoming the youngest-ever winner of the event in Olympic history. His winning time 1:41.19 made him the third-fastest performer in history, behind only world record-holder David Rudisha and Wilson Kipketer.
Bayanda Walaza (South Africa)
The 18-year-old, currently the fastest teenager in the world, took silver along with his teammates in a 4×100 metres upset that saw Canada claim first, Great Britain third, and the US fail to medal against a star-studded field.
Credit: Boniface Orucho and Oliver Ochieng, Bird Story Agency