Team Nigeria had a poor outing at the just concluded Paris 2024 Olympic Games as the contingent returned home without a single medal even with the likes of Tobi Amusan, Favour Ofili and Ese Brume competing.
In a case of what could have been for Team Nigeria, there were a number list of medal-winning athletes with Nigerian heritage at the 2024 Olympics.
Have a look at the athletes who won medals with their adopted nations in various sports.
Salwa Al Naser – Bahrain Women’s 400m silver
Al Naser was born in Nigeria and was initially named Ebelechukwu Antoinette Agbapuonwu before changing her name to Salwa Al Naser and converting to Islam after switching allegiance to Bahrain in 2014.
She won the silver medal in the Women’s 400-metre race at the Paris 2024.
Annette Echikunwoke – USA Women’s Hammer Throw silver
Echikunwoke’s case was a heartbreaking one as she opted to represent Nigeria despite being born in Pickerington, Ohio.
Her chance to represent Nigeria at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games was disrupted by administrative issues as she was among several Nigerian athletes banned from competing.
This led Echikunwoke to switch back to representing the United States.
Yemisi Ogunleye – Germany Women’s Shot Put gold
Ogunleye’s father is from the Yoruba tribe in Nigeria, but her mother is German-born. She competed for the country of birth in Shot Put and won gold.
Michael Olise – France Men’s Football silver
Olise was arguably the best player in the French squad but was unable to lead the team to the top of the podium as they settled for silver.
The former Crystal Palace star was born in England to a French-Algerian mother and a Nigerian father.
Barthélémy Chinenyeze – France Men’s Volleyball gold
Chinenyeze played as Middle Blocker as France claimed gold in the men’s volleyball event, winning all the sets to beat Poland 3-0 in the final.
Samu Omorodion – Spain Men’s Football gold
The former Alaves striker won gold with the Spanish under-23 team after beating the host France in the final.
Omorodion was born in Melilla, Spain, to Nigerian parents but he currently represents the European country.
Bam Adebayo – USA Men’s Basketball gold
While Nigeria’s D’Tigers failed to qualify for the Olympic Games, there was a Nigerian in the United States of America’s team that won gold at the biggest sporting event.
The Miami Heat star made his presence felt off the bench in the final as the Americans outmuscled France in the final match.
Victoria Ohuruogu – 4x400m Women’s Relay bronze
Ohuruogu is the younger sister of British athletics legend Christine Ohuruogu and was part of the 4x400m relay team that claimed bronze for Great Britain in Paris.