Paris 2024: Nigeria’s top five potential medal winners are women

With a storied Olympic history that began in 1952 in Helsinki, Team Nigeria has a modest medal tally.

For the 2024 Olympics, Nigeria is sending a strong contingent of 87 athletes to Paris, aiming to improve their 74th-place finish at the Tokyo 2021 Games.

Notably, Team Nigeria, comprising 87 athletes, is about 72% women, and they are the country’s best hope for medals. Interestingly, Chioma Ajunwa, a woman long jumper, won Nigeria’s first-ever gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

Nigeria’s women will compete in athletics, football, basketball, wrestling, boxing, cycling, canoeing, table tennis, weightlifting, and aquatics. This includes 18 footballers and 12 basketball players. Remarkably, they also dominate in wrestling (5 of 6) and weightlifting, where both qualifiers are women.

Historically, Nigeria’s best Olympic performance was 30th place at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, where they won one silver and one bronze.

In 17 Olympic appearances, Nigeria has won three gold medals, with 777 athletes participating since 1952. As the Paris 2024 Games approach, several Nigerian athletes stand out as strong medal contenders. Here are five athletes and teams with the potential to make history and raise Nigeria’s flag on the podium.

Athletics

Tobi Amusan [27]: The 100m women’s hurdles world record holder is a favourite for gold after narrowly missing the podium in Tokyo. Recently cleared by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to compete in Paris, Amusan is Nigeria’s first and only world champion in athletics. Her world record stands at 12.12 seconds.

Amusan is Nigeria’s first and only world champion in athletics after breaking the world record and running into the history books. She has always been one to look forward to, and the potency of her words on X continues to ring true. “Unknown now, but soon I will be unforgettable… I will persist until I succeed…” Everybody knows you now, and no one will be surprised when you take gold in Paris.

She has a strong chance for a podium finish, given her season’s best of 12.40 seconds and her smooth rhythm in scaling the hurdles. However, she must avoid bad or false starts, as witnessed at the Suzhou Diamond League.

Season’s Best: 12.40 seconds

Personal Best: 12.12 seconds [World record set in 2022 in Hayward Field, Eugene, USA]

World Ranking: 5

Likely Podium Finish: Strong YES!

Brume Ese

Ese Brume [28]: The reigning African and Commonwealth Games champion in the long jump. Brume aims to surpass her bronze medal from Tokyo. She has consistently won medals at major competitions since her breakout in 2013. Brume’s personal best is 7.17m, and her world ranking is 4.

The 2013 African Junior Championships was her leaping board, and she has excelled at the African Championships, African Games, Commonwealth Games, World Indoor Championships, and World Championships. Brume’s bronze medal in 2020 was Nigeria’s sole medal in athletics at the Olympic Games and marked the country’s first medal in athletics since 2008.

She is known for her perseverance, often delivering her best jumps in the last attempts.

Season’s Best: 6.84m

Personal Best: 7.17m [Set in 2021 in Chula Vista, California, USA]

World Ranking: 4

Likely Podium Finish: Strong YES!

Wrestling

Blessing Oborududu [35]: A dominant force in African wrestling and a 2020 Tokyo silver medalist, Oborududu seeks another Olympic podium finish in the 68kg class. She recently secured a first-place finish at the 2024 Seniors African and Oceania OG Qualifier, making her a strong contender for a medal in Paris.

Season’s Best: First place at the 2024 Seniors African and Oceania OG Qualifier

Personal Best: Silver medal at the 2020 Olympic Games

World Ranking: 6

Likely Podium Finish: Strong YES!

Adekuoroye Odunayo (57kg): A Champion Honours Her Mother

Odunayo Adekuoroye [31]: A multiple medal winner at the World African Championships and Commonwealth Games, Adekuoroye is eager for her first Olympic medal. After overcoming the disappointment of the 2020 Games, she won gold at the Poland Open Ranking Series. Ranked No. 2 in the world in the 57kg category. Her strength lies in her fastidiousness and energy, though she needs to maintain focus throughout her matches.

Season’s Best: Gold at the Poland Open Ranking Series

Personal Best: Ranked No. 1 in the world in the 57kg category in March 2024

World Ranking: 2

Likely Podium Finish: Strong YES!

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Weightlifting

Rafiatu Lawal [27]: A rising star in weightlifting, Lawal has won multiple gold medals at the African Championships and Commonwealth Games. She set new records in the Snatch (90 kg), Clean & Jerk (116 kg), and Total (206 kg) at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. With a personal best of 227kg, she is a strong contender for a medal in Paris, particularly if she improves her Clean & Jerk strategy.

Season’s Best: 227kg

Personal Best: 227kg [Attained in Phuket in March 2024]

World Ranking: 9

Likely Podium Finish: Average YES!

While the path to Olympic glory is unpredictable, these Nigerian women have the talent and potential to bring home medals from Paris. The nation eagerly awaits their performances and celebrates their dedication and hard work.