As the Paris 2024 Olympic Games officially start July 26 with the opening ceremony, Nigeria is gearing up for its 19th appearance at the prestigious event since making its debut in Helsinki in 1952.
This year, 82 athletes will represent Nigeria, competing across 11 sports, with a strong focus on athletics featuring a 32-member team.
Leading the charge as Nigeria’s flagbearer will be women’s 100-meter hurdles world record holder, Tobi Amusan, who hopes to win her first Olympic medal to add to her 2022 World Championships gold medal. Amusan placed fourth, narrowly missing out on the podium in Tokyo three years ago.
A Glimpse into Nigeria’s Olympic history
Nigeria’s Olympic journey began in 1952, when a nine-member athletics team represented the nation for the first time in Helsinki. Despite a boycott of the 1976 Montreal Games, Nigeria has been a consistent presence at the Olympics.
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The country’s first taste of Olympic success came in 1964 when Nojim Maiyegun won a bronze medal in the men’s boxing light-middleweight category, etching his name in history as Nigeria’s first Olympic medalist.
Over the years, Nigeria’s athletes have won a total of 27 Olympic medals, including three golds. The breakthrough came at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, where Chioma Ajunwa soared to victory in the women’s long jump, and the Nigerian football team clinched gold. In 2000, the men’s 4×400-meter relay team composed of Clement Chukwu, Jude Monye, Sunday Bada and Enefiok Udo-Obong added another gold to Nigeria’s tally.
Highlights from last Games in Tokyo
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Blessing Oborududu made history by becoming the first Nigerian to win an Olympic medal in wrestling, securing a silver. Ese Brume also brought glory to the nation by winning a bronze medal in the women’s long jump.
Nigeria in Paris 2024
Nigeria’s campaign at the Paris 2024 Olympics began with the Super Falcons, the women’s national football team, who kicked off the country’s campaign with a hard-fought match against Brazil on July 25. Despite a valiant effort, the Super Falcons narrowly lost 1-0.
How to watch the Paris 2024 Olympics in Nigeria
For Nigerian fans eager to catch all the action from Paris, there are several ways to stay connected and support Team Nigeria. The entire Paris 2024 Olympic events, including the much-anticipated opening ceremony, will be broadcast live on SportyTV on StarTimes and on SuperSports on DStv.
Instead of a traditional march into a stadium, about 6,800 athletes will parade on more than 90 boats on the Seine River for 6 kilometers (3.7 miles).
The river parade will follow the course of the Seine, from east to west over 6 kilometres. The parade will depart from the Austerlitz bridge beside the Jardin des Plantes at 6.30 p.m. Nigerian time and make its way around the two islands at the centre of the city (the Île Saint Louis and the Île de la Cité) before passing under several bridges and gateways. Athletes on board the parade boats will get glimpses of some of the official Games venues, including Parc Urbain La Concorde, the Esplanade des Invalides, the Grand Palais, and lastly the Iéna bridge where the parade will come to a stop before the ceremony’s finale at the Trocadéro.
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