As the world watches Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games starting this week, African athletes have a proud history at the Games to look back on.
The Summer Olympics have a long history of bringing exciting moments and impressive performances as athletes from all over the world leave their mark in different sports.
Nigeria is widely recognized as one of Africa’s most sports-oriented nations, boasting a track record of success across various fields and events to substantiate its reputation.
One of Africa’s golden moments at the Olympics was at the 1996 edition held in Atlanta (USA), where Chioma Ajunwa became the first black African woman to win an Olympic gold medal in a field event. Also, Nigeria’s “Dream Team” U-23 side stunned the world to become the first African nation to win an Olympic gold medal in football, beating Brazil’s star-studded team in the semi-final and Argentina in the final.
Also, at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Cameroon defeated Spain in the final to become the second African team to win gold medal in men’s football.
At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge cemented his place as the greatest marathon runner of all time. He became the third man in history to clinch two Olympic marathon titles. Similarly, compatriot Faith Kipyegon showed resilience and determination, winning gold medals at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
Ethiopian long-distance runner Kenenisa Bekele won both the 5000 and 10000 m finals, setting records in both at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
According to Olympedia, African countries have accumulated a total of 286 medals since 1956.
Below is a list of 10 of the most successful African countries at the Summer Olympic Games:
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