As the curtain winds down on the Paris 2024 Summer Games, African athletes and teams have delivered plenty of triumphs and inspiring moments. Over the past week especially, there have been a lot of firsts, with new greats joining the ranks of already-known greats. Together, they’ve created some of the most memorable moments of the Olympics. Here are nine shining highlights from the second week of the games.
Cindy Ngamba wins first-ever Olympic Refugee Team medal
At the opening ceremony, Cameroon-born Cindy Ngamba had the honor of being the flag bearer of the Olympic Refugee Team, representing over 120 million displaced people across the world. Over the previous two games in Rio De Janeiro and Tokyo, the refugee team didn’t win a medal. In Paris, Ngamba won the first-ever Olympic medal by a refugee athlete, after defeating French boxer Davina Michel in the quarter-finals of the women’s 75kg category to secure an automatic bronze medal.
Ngamba ended up losing to Panama’s Atheyna Baylon in her semi-final bout. “It means the world to me,” she said. “I am a human, just like everyone else on the refugee team and just like everyone else around the world. To all refugees around the world, keep on believing. You can achieve whatever you set your mind to.”
Joshua Cheptegei sets a new Olympic record
After getting close to doing the 5,000m and 10,000m double at the last Olympics in Tokyo, Joshua Cheptegei has won his Olympic gold medal in the latter event in historic fashion. The Ugandan long-distance runner broke Kenenisa Bekele’s Olympic record, running a blistering 26:43.14, bettering the previous record by nearly 18 seconds. Additionally, the double world record holder is now the Ugandan with the most Olympic medals.
Kaylia Nemour wins first Olympic gymnastic medal by an African
A year after becoming the first African gymnast to win a medal at the World Gymnastics Championships, Kaylia Nemour is now the first ever Olympics gymnastics champion from Africa. The French-born Algerian gymnast, who switched her competitive allegiances to her father’s nationality in 2021, won the uneven bars gold with a 15.700 score, tied for the highest score of the meet in any event.
“It really is my lifelong dream,” she said after her historic win. “It’s been a goal since 2020. Even I had my doubts before I stepped on the bar. I told myself it wasn’t possible that I’d be Olympic champion. And I passed, it was incredible.”
Beatrice Chebet stuns her way to the 5,000m gold
Heading into a talent-packed field of finalists in the women’s 5,000m, Beatrice Chebet wasn’t the favorite to win gold. While she had won silver and bronze medals at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships respectively, the 10,000m world record holder was up against fellow Kenyan runner and overwhelming favorite, Faith Kipyegon, as well as the Dutch great Sifan Hassan and world record holder in the distance, Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay.
Staying within touching distance of a podium finish the entire time, Chebet entered sprint mode in the final 60m, running a total time of 14:28.56 and outpacing Kipyegon, who led the pack entering the last 100m and eventually won silver — despite some controversy.
Nigerian women’s basketball team bows out on a high
On Sunday, the Nigerian women’s basketball team played one of the most dominant quarters in all of this summer’s Olympics, thoroughly beating the Canadian team 23-5 in the third quarter, on their way to a 79-70 victory. That win ensured their place as the first-ever African basketball team to make it to the quarter-finals at the Olympics.
However, the reward for their historic achievement was to face the U.S. women’s team, the overwhelming favorites to win gold. While D’Tigress were largely blown out for most of the game, the Rena Wakama-coached team played with a great effort, capping their 88-74 loss with a strong fourth quarter which they won 26-12.
Morocco’s first-ever Olympic football medal
No African team has won the Olympic football gold since the double whammy of Nigeria’s 1996 dream team and Cameroon’s Sydney 2000 heroics. Egypt and Morocco came within touching distance but had to settle for the bronze medal match after losing their semi-final matches to France and Spain, respectively. In their bronze medal face-off, Morocco routed its regional neighbors 6-0, winning the first Olympic football medal for North Africa.
Daniel Varela de Pina wins first Olympic medal for Cape Verde
Cape Verde sent its first team to the Olympics in 1996. Twenty-eight years later, the island country has its first Olympic medal, courtesy of boxer Daniel Varela de Pina. The diminutive 28-year-old, with a distinct hairstyle that has drawn Mickey Mouse comparisons, reached the semi-final of the men’s flyweight, which guaranteed him a bronze medal. He defeated African Games champion, Zambia’s Patrick Chinyemba, in the quarter-finals, but lost his semi-final bout to former Olympic champion Hasanboy Dusmatov.
“They say I’m the hero because I give them one thing they never had before,” he said after his guaranteed bronze medal win. “I’m so happy to achieve this first medal and to give it to my country. We deserve some happiness.”
Muzala Samukonga ends Olympic medal drought for Zambia
Zambia’s flag bearer at the Olympics has given his country more reason to be proud. Muzala Samukonga came third in one of the most competitive men’s 400m races in Olympic history, finishing at 43.74 seconds and setting a new national record. The 2022 Commonwealth 400m champion finished just over 0.3 seconds within the gold medal time, ending a 28-year Olympic medal drought for his country. Samukonga could yet inspire more Olympic glory, as Zambia’s 4x400m men’s team will compete for a podium finish in Saturday’s final.
Letsile Tebogo’s inspiring triumph
The whole of Botswana is celebrating Letsile Tebogo, the first African to win Olympic gold in the men’s 200m. President Mokgweetsi Eric Masisi declared a half-day in honor of the “Botswana’s Sensation,” after he blitzed through the finish line in 19.46 seconds, the fifth fastest time in Olympic history. Going into the games, Tebogo was Botswana’s great hope for a medal and he delivered in an inspiring fashion, and there could be more. Botswana’s 4x400m men’s team qualified for Saturday’s final in dominant fashion by winning their heat, no doubt they will be one of the favorites to win a medal, anchored by one of the fastest men alive.
