While Nigerians are waiting endlessly for the golden moment of a Nigerian winning a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, more Nigerians are winning the precious metals for other countries as the Olympics set to wind down on Sunday.
Samu Omoridion and Yemisi Ogunleye are the latest Nigerian descents to strike Gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Omoridion was part of the winning Spanish football team who defeated France 5-3 on Friday night to win Men’s Football Gold medal.
Though the Nigerian was listed for the final match as he is finalising his switch to Chelsea FC as he is due for a medical to complete the move.
The highest scoring Olympic football men’s final saw another Nigerian descent Michael Olise starred for France and played his out but he could only settle for the Silver medal as the Spanish nicked it after 120 minutes to make another Gold in football after winning their first in the Barcelona 92 edition.
Yemisi Ogunleye makes history representing Germany on Friday night to become the first German to win Gold medal in women’s Shot Put after 28 years at the Olympics.
The Nigerian descent won the gold medal with her final throw of 20.00 metres in the Olympic women’s shot put on edging a thrilling duel with New Zealand’s Maddison-Lee Wesche.
Wesche looked as though she had the podium wrapped up with a terrific personal best 19.86 on her fifth throw but had to settle for the second spot on the podium as China’s Song Jiayuan (19.32) claimed bronze.
It was teary watching a Yoruba woman strode around the Stade de France with the German flag draped around her shoulders after ringing the victory bell.
The World Indoor Championship Silver medal winner captured her glorious moment by relying on her last energy and believe.
“At that moment, I was just saying a prayer,” Ogunleye told reporters. “It was the moment when I knew that if I have faith, I am capable of doing more than I can think or ask for. At that moment, I just took all the energy that I had left and just put it out there.”
Just before Samu and Ogunleye won their respective golds on Friday, Salwa Eid Naser, a Nigerian-born athlete had picked Silver for Bahrain in the Women 400m event.
She returned a time of 48.53s behind Marileidy Paulino from the Dominican Republic, who set a new Olympic record of 48.17 seconds.
It was a narrow non podium finish for another Nigeria descent Rhasidat Adeleke, representing the Republic of Ireland as she finished in fourth in the race behind Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek who finished third.
Earlier in the week,
Annette Echikunwoke also won silver in the Hammer event for the USA after switching allegiance from Nigeria.
This brings the number of medals count won by Nigerians for other countries to Five, Two Gold Medals , and Three Silver Medals.
Team Nigeria are still searching for the first medal at the games with only a wrestler, Hannah Blessing, left at the games to ensure the country didn’t leave the game.empty handed.
