Olympic: Nigeria returns from Paris 2024 without medals

Team Nigeria has concluded its campaign at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with a dismal record, marking the eighth time in Olympic history that the nation returns home empty-handed.

The disappointment was sealed on Saturday as Hannah Reuben, Nigeria’s last hope for a medal, succumbed to Mongolia’s Davaanasan Amar Enkh in a tough second-round match of the women’s freestyle wrestling, ending the contest with a score of 5-2.

A total of 88 athletes represented Nigeria across 12 sports, but despite their efforts, the quest for glory proved elusive. This outcome is particularly painful for a nation with a rich sporting heritage, as it represents the worst Olympic performance since the London Games in 2012.

The struggle for Olympic success has deep roots for Nigeria, dating back to the 1952 Helsinki Games, where the nation first faced disappointment. Subsequent failures in Melbourne (1956), Rome (1960), and a brief glimmer of hope in Tokyo (1964) when Nojeem Mayegun secured Nigeria’s inaugural Olympic medal have only added to the narrative of unfulfilled potential. The drought continued with setbacks in Mexico City (1968), Moscow (1980), and Seoul (1988), culminating in the latest heartbreak in Paris.