The Paris Olympics may have ended with Team Nigeria winning no medal in what has been described as one of the country’s worst outings. However many athletes of Nigerian descent competed for other nations and had a podium finish.
Some heartbreaking misses and what many have pegged as administrative lapses saw Nigeria having its worst Olympics outing since 2012, mirroring similar performances in the past.
In the wake of Nigeria’s outing in Paris, the Federal Government has called for a review of the contingents’ performances.
While the heartbreak of a poor outing in France would linger in the minds of millions even after the competition has ended, athletes of Nigerian descent winning medals for other nations showcases how much the West African country can achieve with the right preparations.
Here is a list of these athletes of Nigerian descent who had a podium finish in Paris:
Yemisi Ogunleye
Born to a Nigerian father from Ekiti State and a German mother, Yemisi won gold in the women’s shot put event at the Paris Olympics. She threw 20.0 m to claim the prize in Paris.
Salwa Eid Naser
The Anambra-born athlete scooped the silver medal in the women’s 400m event running for Bahrain.
Eid Nasser was born Ebelechukwu Antoinette Agbapuonwu but converted to Islam and also switched nationality to the Asian country in 2014.
Samu Omorodion
In football, Samu Omorodion was part of the Spanish side that won the men’s title. He scored in the team’s 2-1 loss to Egypt in the group stage.
Although Samu can still play for Nigeria, indications suggest the 20-year-old would want to continue with the country of his birth instead of that of his parents.
Michael Olise
As Samu was on the winning side, Michael Olise was an integral part of France’s team that lost to the Spaniards in the gold medal match at the Paris Olympics.
Olise, now with Bayern Munich, has a Nigerian father and a French-Algerian mother. But he was born in England. He scored two goals and had five assists in six matches for Thierry Henry’s side at the Olympics, earning him rave reviews.
Annette Echikunwoke
Back to athletics, Annette Echikunwoke was supposed to feature for Nigeria at the Tokyo 2020 Games. However, she was ruled ineligible for the competition. That perhaps prompted Annette to switch nationality to the US and she ended up winning silver for America in the hammer throw event in Paris, the first medal in that sport for the US.
Annette was born in Ohio, US, to Nigerian parents.
Victoria Ohuruogu
Back on the tracks, Victoria Ohuruogu of Nigerian descent was part of Great Britain’s quartet that won bronze in the women’s 4x400m relay. Others are Laviai Nielsen, Nicole Yeargin, and Amber Anning. The 31-year-old is the younger sister of Olympic gold medallist Christine Ohuruogu. She was born in London.
Yemi Mary John
Another athlete of Nigerian origin Yemi John was also a member of that British relay team, playing a significant role in their bronze medal finish.
Eziyoda Magbegor
The Seattle Storm player, born in 1999, led Australia to a bronze medal finish in the women’s basketball event at the Paris Olympics. She scored 30 points as the Opals defeated Belgium to claim third.
Eziyoda is a two-time World Cup medallist, WNBL, WNBA, and Hungarian Cup winner. The basketball player was born to Nigerian parents in New Zealand before moving to Australia at age 6 with her family.
Barthélémy Chinenyeze
Meanwhile on the volleyball court, Barthélémy a gold medal winner with France at the just-ended Olympics. Playing as a middle blocker, Barthélémy was born in 1998.
Chiaka Ogbogu
In the female event of the same sport, 29-year-old Chiaka helped the US to win the silver medal at the Paris Games.
In Tokyo 2020, she was in the team that took gold. She is a first-generation Nigerian-American and was raised in Texas. Her parents are Nigerians, and one of them (her father) is a medical doctor.
Omoruyi Loveth
But Omoruyi Loveth of Nigerian descent was part of the Italian side that took gold in that game as they saw off US in women’s volley event.
‘Bam’ Adebayo
When the US men’s basketball team got a fifth straight Olympics title at the Olympics, one name that stood out was Edrice Femi “Bam” Adebayo.
He plays for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association and has a Nigerian father and an American mother.