Are you wondering about the Nigerian team’s experience and performance at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024? From D’Tigress’ denied entry to the event’s opening ceremony to Favour Ofili’s omission from the Olympic start list to D’Tigress’ surprising win over Australia, we made a list of the good, bad, and significant moments Nigeria has had since the 2024 Olympic Games kicked off.
Highs
Nigeria’s flagbearer
On July 23, 2024, Tobi Amusan was named Nigeria’s flagbearer at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. She’s the first athlete from the athletics department to have the honour in 20 years since Mary Onyali at the 2004 Athens games.
Cultural day
Nigeria will never play with their fashion and showing out. In a viral photo, Tobi Amusan and other Nigerian athletes donned cool white and green traditional clothing, with Tobi Amusan looking like the “mother of the day.”
The teenage swimmer
Adaku Nkem Nwandu is a 16-year-old China-born Nigerian swimmer who represented Nigeria in Heat 6 of the women’s 50m freestyle event. She finished second but didn’t make it to the next round. For those unfamiliar with Adaku’s game, she took home seven gold and one silver at the Asaba National Games 2022 and represented Nigeria at the World Aquatics Championships 2024 in Doha. Adaku is a potential Nigerian champ! Be on the lookout.
D’Tigress’ great start to tournament
On July 29, 2024, D’Tigress beat Australia, the world’s number 3, by thirteen points in their first game. This win is arguably the biggest upset of the Olympics so far.
On August 4th, in their third quarter against Canada, D’Tigress won and became the first African team, male or female, to make it to the quarter-final of the Olympics. D’Tigress went from the lowest-ranked team to the last eight of the tournament.
Nigeria’s first cyclist at the Olympics
Ese Ukpeseraye will forever be famous as the first Nigerian athlete to compete in road cycling and cycling track events.
Nigeria’s first male quarter-miler at the 400-metre
On August 4, Samuel Ogazi ran a personal best of 44.50s, which automatically pushed him to the semi-final of men’s 400-metre. This feat made him Nigeria’s first male quarter-miler in 24 years.
Nigeria’s first 400-metre hurdle semi-final in 12 years
On August 5, Ezekiel Nathaniel, a debutant, entered the semi-final spot of the 400-metre hurdle race, Nigeria’s first in 12 years since Amaechi Morton’s London 2012 Olympics record.
New Nigerian quartet record
The Nigerian quartet of Samuel Ogazi, Ella Onojuwevwo, Emmanuel Ifeanyi Ojeli, and Patience Okon-George didn’t make it to the final of the Mixed 4×400-metre. Still, they set a new Nigerian record of 3:11.99.
Lows
D’Tigress denied entry at the opening ceremony
The Nigerian female basketball team got to the ceremony boat departure area, but a Nigerian official denied them entry because too many were on board. The rest of the Nigerian delegation shared a boar with Niger and Norway.
Super Falcon lost the first three games
On July 28, 2024, Nigeria’s Super Falcon lost to Spain by one goal. They suffered a second defeat after a loss to Brazil at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Their third game with Japan ended in a 3-1 loss. Jennifer Echegini scored the only goal. Hopefully, they’ll pick up in the 2028 Olympics.
The Favour Ofili’s situation
Though Favour Ofili qualified, the Nigerian champion was left out of the 100-metre list. Her omission in the Paris 2024 Olympics is reminiscent of her issue in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where she couldn’t compete despite her qualification because the important sports bodies failed to release funding for athletes in the US.
Agitated, Favour took to her socials to express her frustration with the issue, but nothing changed. She qualified for the 200-metre and final after running what’s considered her fastest outdoor time in two years.
No Table Tennis win in Paris 2024
The Paris 2024 Olympics marks the first time Nigerian table tennis players recorded zero wins since the introduction of Table Tennis to the Olympics in 1988. There’s no table tennis player left in the tournament. We’ll go again at the next Olympics.
Nigeria’s general team captain is out, too
Anuoluwapo Opeyori, Nigeria’s general captain and only badminton player at the Paris 2024 Olympics, got disqualified from the event on July 31st due to two consecutive losses at the Olympics. He fought well. Good luck next time, champ.
The Nigerian Discus Throw trio out
Chioma Onyekwere, Obiageri Amaechi, and Ashley Anumba are the Nigerian trio that debuted at the Olympics this year. They represented Nigeria in the Women’s Discus Throw games but were eliminated from the competition.
