The 2024 Paris Olympic Games officially climaxed on Sunday 12 August in a spectacular closing ceremony. American actor and producer, Tom Cruise, descended from the roof of Stade de France to collect the Olympic flag as part of the handover to the American city of Los Angeles, which will host the next Games in 2028. Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre then performed as part of a star-studded music set on the beach to conclude the ceremony.
A total of 204 countries out of 206 National Olympic Committees participated at the 2024 Summer Games with 54 from Africa, 48 from Europe, 44 from Asia, 41 from the Americas and 17 from Oceania. The United States topped the medal table with 40 gold medals and 126 medals in total. Tied in terms of gold medals, China finished second, with 40 gold medals and 91 medals overall. This is also the first time that there has ever been a tie in gold medals at the top of the table in Summer Olympic history. Japan finished third with 20 gold medals and sixth in the overall medal count. Australia finished fourth with 18 gold medals and fifth in the overall medal count. The host nation, France, finished fifth with 16 gold and 64 total medals. Dominica, Saint Lucia, Cape Verde, and Albania won their first-ever Olympic medals, the former two both being gold, with Botswana and Guatemala also winning their first-ever gold medals. The Refugee Olympic Team also won their first-ever medal in boxing.
Only 12 African countries made it to the medal table. Kenya led the pack after garnering four gold, two silver and five bronze for a total of 11 to finish in 17th place. Other African countries that made the medal table include Algeria, joint 39th with two gold and one bronze for a total of three. Others are South Africa in joint 44th with a total of six medals (1 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze), and Ethiopia in 47th with a total of four (1 gold, 3 silver). Egypt and Tunisia were joint 52nd with a total of three medals each, comprising one gold, one silver and one bronze medal. Botswana and Uganda were also joint 55th with two medals each, made up of one gold and one silver. Morocco were placed 60th with one gold and one bronze for a total of two, while Côte d’Ivoire were in 84th place alongside Cape Verde and Zambia with one bronze each. Africa’s largest country by population, Nigeria took part with 88 participants, but did not make the medal table. Africa’s first medal of Paris 2024 came on day one in rugby sevens, when South Africa took men’s bronze with their victory over Australia at the Stade de France. Kenyan long-distance runner, Beatrice Chebet, won the gold medal in the women’s 5000 meters as she sprinted home to claim the title after a textbook performance on 5 August. Shortly afterwards, Chebet completed an Olympic double with victory in the women’s 10,000 metres. The 24-year-old surged to victory on the final lap in a time of 30:43.25.
Another Kenyan, Emmanuel Wanyonyin, won gold in men’s 800 metres. The middle-distance runner and 2023 world silver medallist came home in 1:41.19, the third fastest time ever, just 0.2 seconds behind Kenyan legend David Rudisha’s World Record of 1:40.91 from London 2012. On top of that, Kenyan star athlete, Faith Kipyegon, made history after becoming the first woman to win three consecutive Olympic 1500 metres gold medals with a superb display of middle-distance running. The 30-year-old 2016 and 2020 champion produced a tactical masterpiece at the Stade de France on 10 August to take gold in a new Olympic record of 3:51:29.
French-born Kaylia Nemour, won Algeria’s first gymnastics gold at the Games. The 17-year-old outscored China’s Qiu Qiyuan and USA’s Sunisa Lee in the uneven bars final for Algeria’s first medal in Paris. The Algerian teenager wept tears of joy as she became the first African athlete to win an Olympic gymnastics medal with gold on the uneven bars in Paris, outshining several big names in the competition and registering her country’s first medal at the 2024 Olympic Games.
One of the most emotional victories in Paris came when Algerian boxer Imane Khelif comprehensively defeated China’s Yang Liu by unanimous decision to win the 66kg Olympic final at Paris 2024. The Algerian faced abuse after her presence at the Olympic Games became the subject of fierce contention. Even though she does meet the IOC’s criteria, a dispute erupted about her place at Paris 2024, a controversy that reached fever pitch when she abruptly halted Italy’s Angela Carini in just 46 seconds. However at every stage of her tournament, amid all the furore, Khelif has walked proudly into the arena and proudly out again with the results she needed secured. That culminated in spectacular scenes of celebration at Roland Garros on 9 August, when Khelif beat China’s Yang Liu to win the 66kg gold in front of a crowd of supporters numbering in the thousands.
Another eye-catching champion at the Games was South Africa’s Tatjana Smith, who competed at what would be her final Olympic Games. Smith clinched the country’s first gold medal at the Games in the women’s 100 metres breaststroke, marking a historic moment of triumph and national pride. Smith claimed her second medal of the Paris Olympics but missed out on a golden double after finishing second in the final of the women’s 200 metres breaststroke. Smith, the defending champion from the Tokyo Olympics, was looking to add the 200 metres crown to the 100 metres title she won.
In what could be argued as the most gruelling track race of the Olympic Games, the 10,000 metres, it was an incredible battle in the men’s final, as the reigning Olympic champion, reigning world champion and current world record holder were all in the lineup at the Stade de France to fight for the coveted Olympic gold medal. Taking the fastest 10,000 metres race in the history of the Olympic Games was Uganda’s world record holder, Joshua Cheptegei, in a time of 26:43.14. With a pool of runners that was unprecedentedly quick, the first 13 finishers all came in under the previous Olympic record, which, before 9 August, had held true since 2008. Morocco’s 3,000 metres steeplechase king, Soufiane El Bakkali, showed his class to become the first man to defend an Olympic title in the event since 1936. In a curious race, El Bakkali only hit the front for the first time coming into the home straight, just after his great rival, Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma, suffered a heavy fall that led to him being taken to hospital. Winning in a time of eight minutes 6.05 seconds, the 28-year-old mirrored the achievement of Finland’s Volmari Iso-Hollo, who won back-to-back steeplechases in 1932 and 1936.
Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo finally broke the jinx of Africa in Olympics’ short sprint when he claimed a surprise Olympic 200 metres gold medal as American sprinter Noah Lyles was denied a sprint double at Paris 2024. Tebogo, 21, stormed clear of his rivals to clock an African record of 19.46 seconds and finish ahead of American Kenneth Bednarek, who crossed the line in 19.62. Lyles, crowned the world’s fastest man by five-thousandths of a second in a historically quick 100 metres final on 4 August, was unable to compete at the head of the race and matched his Tokyo bronze in 19.70. It emerged after the race that Lyles had tested positive for Covid and the 27-year-old had to be helped off the track in a wheelchair. Tebogo’s gold medal in this 200m race is the first of its kind in history of Africa athletics in the Olympic Games.
Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola dominated the men’s marathon in Paris to win in an Olympic record time. Tola stormed ahead to seal victory in 2:06:26, beating the previous record – set by Kenya’s Samuel Wanjiru in 2008 – by six seconds. Belgium’s Bashir Abdi (2:06.47) finished second to upgrade his bronze from Tokyo in 2021, while Benson Kipruto of Kenya (2:07:00) was third. Tunisia’s Firas Katoussi captured Olympic gold as he deservedly defeated Iran’s Mehran Barkhordari in the final of the men’s 80kg taekwondo competition. His victory follows Mohamed Khalil Jendoubi’s bronze in the 58kg class making this a very fruitful taekwondo competition for Team Tunisia. Africa also won two medals in fencing: Mahmoud El Sayad of Egypt won bronze in the men’s epee individual while Fares Ferjani won silver for Tunisia in the men’s sabre individual. In football, the men’s bronze-medal match was an all-African affair between Morocco and Egypt, guaranteeing either nation their first Olympic medal in the beautiful game. However, Morocco’s rise as a formidable power in men’s soccer continued with its first Olympic medal, awarded following an emphatic 6-0 victory against Egypt to win bronze at the Paris Olympics.
The continent’s Olympic success also included spectacular performances of the Nigeria women’s basketball team, also known as D’Tigress, and South Sudan men’s basketball team. D’Tigress became the first African side – male or female – to reach the quarter-finals of an Olympic Games after beating Canada in their final group game. The West Africans registered a win on their Olympic debut in Athens in 2004 but had to wait 20 years for their second victory. In men’s basketball, South Sudan men’s team, 33rd in the world rankings, opened their Group C campaign with a 90-79 win over their higher-ranked opponents. The result has been a huge source of pride for the world’s newest nation – on what was the team’s first appearance on the Olympic stage.
Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, said the Paris Games had been “sensational”. In his closing speech, he praised athletes for their “simply amazing” performances, saying they showed “what greatness we humans are capable of”. He continued: “During all this time, you lived peacefully together under one roof in the Olympic Village. You embraced each other. You respected each other, even if your countries are divided by war and conflict. You created a culture of peace. This inspired all of us and billions of people around the globe. Thank you for making us dream. Thank you for making us believe in a better world for everyone.”
As the curtains close on Paris 2024 Olympics and people around the world are celebrating wins and counting their medals, Africa needs to make time for reflection and taking stock. Los Angeles 2028 is around the corner.
References:
- “USA top medal table after winning thrilling last gold” BBC 11 August 2024.
- West, Jenna. “U.S., China tie for most golds at Paris Olympics”. The New Times.
- Whisnant, Gabe (11 August 2024).
- “Olympic medal count shows China made history after battle with Team USA” Newsweek.
- “New Paris 2024 slogan “Games wide open” welcomed by IOC President”. International Paralympic Committee. 25 July 2022.
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Edited by Kehinde Fagbuaro.
