Paris 2024: Five Nigerian-Born Athletes Who Secured Medals for Other Nations
Team Nigeria concluded their Paris 2024 Olympic campaign without winning any medals, despite having 88 athletes competing in 12 sports. This outcome mirrors the disappointing performance of the Nigerian team at the 2012 London Olympics, where they also failed to secure medals. Sports Minister Senator John Enoh labeled the performance as a “disaster” and pledged to improve future results.
Although Nigeria did not win any medals, several athletes of Nigerian descent achieved notable success at the Games by representing other countries. Here are five such athletes who won medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics:
Yemisi Ogunleye
Yemisi Ogunleye, representing Germany, claimed the gold medal in the women’s shot put with a throw of 20.00 meters on her final attempt. This victory marked Germany’s first gold in this event since the Atlanta 1996 Olympics. Ogunleye, born in Germany to a Nigerian father from Ekiti and a German mother, celebrated her win by acknowledging her heritage and singing a Yoruba gospel song.
Annette Echikunwoke
Annette Echikunwoke, who initially represented Nigeria, switched to competing for the United States after being disqualified from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to missed drug tests by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN). The 28-year-old, who holds the African record in hammer throw, won a silver medal in the women’s hammer throw. She expressed her gratitude in an interview with the Washington Post, stating, “I’m happy it’s happening now. Everything happens for a reason, even if it’s bad or good or ugly. But this is beautiful.”
Samu Omorodion
Samu Omorodion, born in Melilia, Spain to Nigerian parents, played a key role in Spain’s men’s football team, which won Olympic gold by defeating France 5-3 in extra time. The 20-year-old forward, who is set to join Chelsea from Atletico Madrid, scored once during the tournament in a group-stage match against Egypt.
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Salwa Eid Naser, originally from Onitsha, Anambra, and competing for Bahrain, earned a silver medal in the women’s 400 meters with a time of 48.53 seconds. She finished behind Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic, who set a new Olympic record of 48.17 seconds. Naser was previously known as Ebelechukwu Agbapuonwu.
Michael Olise
Michael Olise, who recently signed with Bayern Munich, was part of the French team that won silver in men’s football. Born in England to a Nigerian father and a French-Algerian mother, Olise contributed to France’s strong performance. His younger brother, Richard, also plays for Chelsea FC in England.
