Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon (centre) already has two Olympic gold medals, but Blessing Oborududu (left) and Biniam Girmay (right) are looking to top the podium for the first time in Paris
July 30—Africa is looking to break the barrier of winning 50 medals in an Olympic Games for the first time at Paris 2024.
With 329 events in 32 sports, the continent will have plenty of opportunities to get on the podium in the French capital.
While there are athletes who have already tasted success at the Olympics and are aiming to extend their legacies, others could make fresh history for their country or sport.
Faith Kipyegon (Kenya, athletics)
With two world titles won and four world records set in the past 13 months, Kipyegon is in sparkling form heading to Paris.
The 30-year-old is aiming to secure her third successive Olympic gold in the women’s 1500m. No African athlete has ever won gold in the same event three times in a row.
Kipyegon lowered her 1500m world record time at the Diamond League meeting in the French capital earlier this month and will also be appearing in the 5,000m at the Games
After winning both titles at the World Championships last year, can the Kenyan repeat the feat at the Olympics and cement her position as the queen of the track?
Letsile Tebogo (Botswana, athletics)
Last year Letsile Tebogo became the first African man to claim a 100m podium finish at the World Athletics Championships
The first man from Botswana to break the 10-second barrier over 100m, Tebogo announced himself on the senior stage last year when he picked up two medals at the World Championships.
He took silver in the 100m and bronze over 200m, becoming the first African man to win a world medal over the shorter distance.
Off the track, the 21-year-old has had to cope with the death of his mother Seratiwa, with whom he shared a close bond, in May.
Tebogo could become the first African man to win a 100m or 200m medal at the Games since Frankie Fredericks in 1996, but he will have to be at his very best to go a step further and emerge from a competitive field to win his country’s first ever Olympic gold.
Biniam Girmay (Eritrea, cycling time trial & road race)
Girmay is revered by Eritreans and fans from his home country are often there to support him at his races in Europe
Fresh from a successful Tour de France – making history as both the first black African to win a stage at the world’s most famous bike race and then topping the points classification – Girmay is already a national hero in Eritrea.
Should the 24-year-old finish in the top two in cycling’s time trial or road race then he would achieve the East African country’s best ever result at the Olympics, surpassing an athletics bronze gained in 2004.
First comes the individual time trial, which looks set to be Girmay’s best chance of a medal, along a flat 32.4km-long route which starts on the Esplanade des Invalides and finishes on the Pont Alexandre III.
The 273km road race course a week later will be far more challenging – rolling out into the countryside west of Paris before a final climb up Montmartre along with cobbled streets and tightly winding sections.
Without the backing of a team of riders to help set up a sprint finish, the odds of victory on the Trocadero are stacked against Girmay. Yet he has been used to overcoming hurdles from the start of his career.
Blessing Oborududu (Nigeria, freestyle wrestling)
An icon of wrestling in Nigeria and Africa, with 14 continental titles and four Commonwealth medals, Oborududu was her country’s best performer at Tokyo 2020, where she won silver in the 68kg category.
Aged 35, she returns in the same weight class for what could be her final Olympics.
Oborududu is seeded sixth on the back of the rankings points she has picked up since last year’s World Championships. France’s Koumba Larroque is among those ahead of her and will enjoy the backing of the home crowd.
Having made her senior debut in 2009, can Oborududu go out in a blaze of glory by topping the podium and delivering just a fourth Olympic gold medal for the West African nation?
Hugues Fabrice Zango (Burkina Faso, athletics)
A leap of 17.64 metres gave Hugues Fabrice Zango world triple jump gold in Budapest last year
The 31-year-old delivered Burkina Faso’s first ever Olympic medal when he took bronze in the men’s triple jump in Tokyo three years ago.
Zango surpassed that feat by becoming world champion last year, with an effort of 17.64m in Budapest.
He was greeted by cheering crowds on his return to Ouagadougou, and became the first sportsman to have the country’s highest honorary distinction – Officer of the Order of the Stallion – bestowed upon him for his achievements.
Also a qualified doctor in electrical engineering, Zango aims to be a “symbol of hope” to others in his West African homeland. The next target is registering more history for Burkina Faso in Paris.
Fatima Zahra El Mamouny (Morocco, breaking)
Fatima Zahra El Mamouny became Africa’s women’s breaking champion in May last year
Better known as B-girl El Mamouny, the Moroccan made history by becoming the first ever qualifier for the Olympic breaking competition.
The sport has been introduced for Paris 2024 as the International Olympic Committee looks to appeal to a younger generation.
The 24-year-old got into breaking on the streets of Rabat, although at first her parents were not supportive of her newfound passion.
Dancers will compete in a series of one-on one battles, taking it in turns to show their moves and receiving marks for technique, variety, execution, musicality and originality.
The Place de la Concorde, a major public square at the end of Paris’ most famous street, the Champs-Elysees, could witness the African champion make Olympic history.
