20 Nigerian Women To Have Won An Olympic medal

A few days ago the 2021 Olympics came to an end and as always Team Nigeria was ably represented. Nigerian athletes participated in several events and this time for the first time in 13-years and in 2 Olympics our athletes returned home with medals two better than the last two outings, one silver medal and a bronze medal. These two medals were won by two fantastic, exceptionally talented women with both women making history when little was expected of them.
Olympic medal
Blessing Oborududu won the country’s first Olympics medal in wrestling ever, while Ese Brume who is Nigeria’s first medal at the Tokyo Olympics a bronze medal in the Long Jump event. With these women’s achievements, it was worth it to go through history and celebrate the other Nigerian female athletes that have done the country proud in the past.
Over the last two Olympics, Nigeria’s performance has been shambolic, returning home without medals. We have chosen to celebrate a few women who have represented the country and displayed an exceptional performance. Here are 20 Nigerian women who have won an Olympic medal.
1. Mary Onyali-Omagbemi is is a Nigerian former sprinter, she was a 5x Olympian in 1988 – 2004 who won the bronze medal in the 4 × 100 m relay at the 1992 Olympic Games and in the 200 m at the 1996 Olympic Games. Her consecutive Olympic appearances from 1988 to 2004 made her the first Nigerian to compete at the five Olympics. She is regarded as one of the best female sprinters Nigeria ever produced. Onyali dominated the stage for decades.
2. Chioma Ajunwa Opara
She is the first Nigerian to win gold at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta for Long Jump. Chioma Ajunwa is the first black African woman to win an Olympic gold medal in a field event. She remains the only woman to compete at both the FIFA Women’s World Cup as a footballer and the Olympics as a track and field athlete. Chioma’s name is constantly identified with breaking records. She is one of the most respected athletes in the country’s history and her exceptional performance serves as a motivation for several female athletes.
3. Glory Alozie Oluchi
She won the silver medal for the 100m hurdles at the 2000 Olympics event in Sydney. She is described as one of the best Hurdles athletes in Nigeria and Africa who displayed exceptional talent while on the field.
4. Ruth Ogbeifo
She competed in the 75 kg weight class at the 2000 Summer Olympics and won the silver medal, with 245.0 kg in total. She has opened a weightlifting centre in Ilorin to train and develop other young girls.
5. Blessing Okagbare
Blessing Okagbare can be identified as one of Nigeria and Africa’s queen of fields. She is the current African record holder in the 200 m with her run of 22.04 seconds in 2018. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she clinched the silver medal for the Long jump. She has an exceptional track record with the sport and is always a delight to see.
Blessing Okagbare6. Mariam Usman
Mariam Usman is a Nigerian weightlifter. She competes in the women’s +75 kg class and has appeared in 3 Olympic outings for Nigeria. She won a bronze medal in the 2008 Benjin Olympics and is one of the few women who have brought home a medal for the country in this sport.
7. Blessing Oborududu
She is a Nigerian freestyle wrestler and is currently ranked as the world number two woman wrestler in the country and also the first wrestler to win an Olympic medal representing Nigeria at the Olympics. She is also a ten-time African champion from 2010 to 2020.
8. Ese Brume
She is a Nigerian athlete who specializes in the long jump. She is a three-time African senior champion in the long jump. She won a bronze medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, with a jump of 6.97 m. She holds the record as one of Africa’s most prolific athletes.

9. Gloria Kemasuode
She is one of Nigeria’s most prolific athletes who competed for Nigeria at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, competing at the 4 x 100 metres relay together with Agnes Osazuwa, Oludamola Osayomi and Ene Franca Idoko. She returned home with a silver medal.
10. Ene Franca Idoko
The 100m runner joined Gloria Kemasuode, Agnes Osazuwa and Oludamola Osayomi where she also took part in the 4×100 metres relay. She returned home with a silver medal at the 2008 Benjin Olympics for relay.
11. Halimat Ismaila
The athlete who won a bronze medal in the 4×100 metres relay at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Together with Ene Franca Idoko, Gloria Kemasuode, Agnes Osazuwa and Oludamola Osayomi she also took part in the 4×100 metres relay.
12. Oludamola Osayomi
The athlete specializes in the 100 metres and 200 metres. She is a four-time gold medallist at the African Championships in Athletics and won an Olympic silver medal with Nigeria in the 4×100 metres relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She is one of Africa’s most prolific runners with several medals at various African championships to her name.
13. Agnes Osazuwa
Nigeria at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing competing at the 4×100 metres relay together with Gloria Kemasuode, Oludamola Osayomi and Ene Franca Idoko she also took part in the 4×100 metres relay.

14. Olabisi Afolabi
She was a member of the Nigerian team that won the silver medal in the 1996 Olympics 4 x 400 metres relay in Atlanta USA. She had such an exceptional performance during her active years as an athlete.
15. Fatima Yusuf
She is one of Africa’s most prolific athletes and was the first African woman to run under 50 secs in the 400 meters. She ran 49.43 at the 1995 African Championship. At the 1996 Summer Olympics held in Atlanta, the United States where she won the Silver medal with her teammates Bisi Afolabi, Charity Opara and Falilat Ogunkoya.
16. Charity Opara
She mainly competed in the 400 metres. She was in particular a successful relay runner, winning the silver medal at the 1996 Olympics for the 4×400 relay race.
17. Falilat Ogunkoya
At the 1996 Summer Olympics Ogunkoya won a bronze medal in the 400 m,. She also won a silver medal at the same Olympics for the 4×400 relay race. She won several African records for track and field events.
18. Beatrice Utondu
She is an Olympic bronze medal in the 4 x 100 metres relay in Barcelona 1992. She specialized in the 100 metres event.
19. Christy Opara-Thompson
She is a Nigerian athlete who competed mainly in the 100 metres. She competed for Nigeria in the 1992 Summer Olympics held in Barcelona, Spain, where she won the bronze medal in the 4 x 100 metres with her teammates Beatrice Utondu, Faith Idehen and Mary Onyali.
23 AUG 1994: CHRISTY OPARA OF NIGERIA, SHOWN HERE INTHE 100 METERS, WINNER OF GOLD (4X100 RELAY), SILVER (100 METERS) AND BRONZE (LONG JUMP) AT THE COMMONWEALTH GAME IN VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA. Mandatory Credit: Tony Duffy/ALLSPORT

20. Faith Idehen

At the 1992 Summer Olympics she, together with Beatrice Utondu, Christy Opara Thompson and Mary Onyali, won a bronze medal in the 4 x 100 metres relay

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