The Tokyo 2020 Olympics has just ended with the usual pomp and pageantry. 54 African countries participated in this biggest sports event in the world. How did Africa perform at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics? We are going to have a run down from the lowest medal haul to the highest medal haul. If a country is not in the video then know that it went home empty handed.
Ghana – Ghana went to the games with 14 athletes and won one medal. Samuel Takyi won a bronze medal in the Featherweight division of the boxing event. Cotedivoire sent 31 athletes and came home with a bronze medal in Taekwando by Ruth Gbagbi in the women 67 Kg segment.
Burkina Faso – Burkina Faso came home with one medal and it was a historic one. Hughes Fabrice Zango won the bronze medal for the triple jump event. This is the first medal ever attained by Burkina Faso in the history of the Olympics. Seven athletes represented the west African country. Botswana – Botswana won one bronze medal. This came in the 4*400 meters track relay. The quartet of Isaac Makwala, Bayapo Ndori, Zibane Ngozi and Baboloki Thebe attained this feat. Botswana appeared in the games with 13 athletes. Namibia – of course, practically every corner of the world knows that Christine Mboma took the silver medals position in the women 200 meters track event. The best performance by an African in the Tokyo Olympics if you ask me. She was the only one who had a medal position out of the 11 representatives from the land of the Namib desert.
Morocco – The north African country got one medal and a valuable one at that – the gold medal in the men 3000 meters steeplechase. It was won by Soufiane El Bakkali. Morocco went with 48 athletes. Nigeria – Nigeria went with 55 athletes and got two medals. Blessing Oborududu won silver in the freestyle 68 kg wrestling event while Esme Brume won bronze in the long jump. Tunisia – Tunisia managed two medals from the 63 athletes at the games. Ahmed Hafnaoui shocked the world to take gold in the 400 meters freestyle in the swimming event. In the men taekwondo 58 kg category, Mohamed Khalil Jendoubi took the silver medal. Ethiopia – Ethiopia had four medals from the 38 athletes sent to Tokyo. One gold medal came from Selemon Barega in the men 10000 meters athletic event. One silver medal came from Lamecha Girma in the 3000 meters steeplechase. Gudaf Tsegay won bronze in the women 5000 meters track event. Letesenbet Gidey also won bronze in the women 10000 meters track event.
South Africa – South Africa went with the largest number of athletes from Africa. The nation went with 179 athletes. They won three medals. Tatjana Schoenmaker was the star of the lot as she won gold in the women swimming 200 meter breaststroke and silver in the 100 meters breaststroke. Bianca Buitendag won silver in the women shortboard category of the surfing event.
Uganda – Four medals were picked by the Ugandan team. The poster boy Joshua Cheptegei won gold and silver in the 5000 meter and 10000-meter tack events respectively. Jacob Kiplimo took the bronze medal in the 10000 meter track event. Peruth Chemutai won gold in the women 3000 meter steeplechase. Uganda went to the games with 25 athletes.
Kenya – The Kenyans had the largest medal haul from Africa. 10 out of the 85 athlethes won medals. They won four gold medals. The gold medal winners were as follows:
Emmanuel Korir in the men 800 meters track event
Faith Kipyegon in the women 1500 meters track event
Peres Jepchirchir in the women marathon
Eliud Kipchoge in the men marathon
The Kenyans also won four silver medals. They were as follows:
Hellen Obiri in the women 1500 meters track event
Ferguson Rotich in the men 800 meters event
Brigid Kosgei in the women marathon
Timothy Cheruiyot in the men 1500 meters track event
Two bronze medals were also won by Kenya. Benjamin Kigen took a bronze medal in the men 3000 meters steeplechase and Hyvin Kiyeng Jepkemoi also won the bronze medal in the women 3000 meters steeplechase.
What was your stand out performance of Africa in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Share with us in the comments section. And don’t forget to subscribe and like our videos.
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