By: Nana Kwame Bediako
The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris wrapped up on Sunday, August 11th 2024, marking the end of an exhilarating two weeks filled with hundreds of events across 32 sporting disciplines. The torch has now been passed to the United States, whose athletes dominated the Games with an astonishing 126 medals.
Close behind, China secured 91 medals, engaging in a fierce gold medal battle with the USA as both nations clinched 40 golds each.
Rounding out the top five in the overall medal count were Great Britain, France, and Australia with 65, 64, and 53 medals respectively. Interestingly, Japan, despite not making the top five in the overall medal count, boasted a higher gold medal tally than Great Britain, France, and Australia, placing them just behind the USA and China in gold count.
While African countries might not have topped the overall medal tally, their athletes showcased incredible determination and achieved remarkable successes.
Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo shattered records by winning gold in the men’s 200m final with an African record time of 19.46 seconds, making him the first African to win gold in that event.
Algeria’s 17-year-old Kaylia Nemour also made history, becoming the first African to win gold in women’s gymnastics.
Cape Verde celebrated its first-ever Olympic medal when Daniel Varela de Pina took home bronze in the Men’s Flyweight 51kg boxing category.
Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon set a new Olympic record in the 1500m with a time of 3:51.29, securing her third consecutive gold in the event.
These monumental achievements lifted Africa’s total medal count to 37.
As the world looks ahead to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, there is a palpable sense of anticipation. African nations will be looking to improve and build on the successes of Paris 2024, aiming for even greater performances on the global stage.