By Chinasaokwu Helen Okoro
Team Nigeria’s seven-medal haul at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, which ended on Sunday, marks the country’s worst outing at the summer event.
Nigeria finished the tournament with two gold, three silver, and two bronze medals to finish in 40th position.
On Sunday, Nigeria’s Folashade Oluwafemiayo broke her world record in the women’s over 86 kg para-powerlifting, becoming the first para-athlete in history to lift 166 kg and winning a gold medal in the process.
It was an incredible performance from Oluwafemiayo, who took Nigeria’s tally at the Paralympics to seven medals overall.
Team Nigeria had previously claimed three medals on the penultimate day of the event, with Isau Ogunkunle winning para-table tennis bronze, Bose Omolayo bagging para-powerlifting silver, and Flora Ugwunwa claiming women’s javelin silver.
While Ogunkunle earned a bronze medal in the Men’s Singles Class 4 Para Table Tennis event to become the first Nigerian athlete to win an individual feat since the Sydney 2000 Games, Omolayo lifted an impressive 145kg to win silver for Nigeria in the Women’s 79kg Para Powerlifting category.
Ugwunwa claimed a silver medal in the Women’s Javelin F54 category with a remarkable throw of 19.26 meters, finishing 2nd in a highly competitive field.
Before Saturday’s impressive outing, the country had managed three medals from powerlifting, para-table tennis, and para-badminton.
On Friday, powerlifter Onyinyechi Mark won Nigeria’s first gold medal after lifting an impressive 150 kg in the women’s 61 kg.
With Loveline Obiji disqualified from competing in the women’s 86kg para-powerlifting, Oluwafemiayo was the country’s last athlete to compete on the final day of the event, and the Team Nigeria captain did so in style to claim a gold medal.
However, despite the efforts of the athletes to claim seven medals (two gold, three silver, and two bronze), the Paris 2024 outing fell short of the country’s previous outings since its debut in 1992.
In their debut outing in Barcelona with just six athletes, Team Nigeria claimed three gold medals to finish in 21st position, won three gold, two silver, and three bronze medals with eight athletes at Atlanta 96, and won seven gold, one silver, and five bronze medals, totalling 13 medals at Sydney 2000.
At Athens 2004, Nigeria ended the event with five gold, four silver, and three bronze, followed by a further decline at Beijing 2008, winning four gold, four silver, and a bronze medal.
London 2012 witnessed an improved performance from Team Nigeria matching their Sydney 2000 medal tally, as they claimed an impressive six gold, five silver, and two bronze medals.
Rio 2016 remains the country’s best outing with eight gold, two silver, and two bronze medals.
At Tokyo 2020, the team failed to build on their success in Rio as they could only muster four gold, one silver medal, and five bronze medals.
The two gold medals won in Paris are the country’s lowest since Barcelona 92.
