Legacy of our heroes, heroines can inspire Nigeria in next Olympics

As the curtain falls on the Paris 2024 Olympics, millions of Nigerians have been wondering what comes next. Nigeria’s previous successes and heroics in the Olympics are well documented. In individual and team sports, Nigeria has had an impressive track record of modest achievements, making this year’s lean harvest all the more painful. However, when it comes to how great nations deal with disappointments, memories can inspire a great comeback. For example, in track and field events, no one will forget the ‘Golden Police Woman’ Chioma Ajunwa, who was the first athlete to win a gold medal for Nigeria and the first black African woman to win an Olympic gold medal in a field event, achieving this feat in the women’s long jump. She established a championship record of 7.12m, which stood unbroken for some time. Enefiok Udo-Obong also made history in the 4x400m men’s relay at Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004.

Udo-Obong stands out as the first and, to date, the only Nigerian man to win two Olympic medals: a gold at the 2000 Summer Olympics and a bronze at the 2004 Summer Olympics. In 2000, he ran the final leg of the 4x400m relay, propelling Nigeria from fourth to second place, alongside Clement Chukwu, Jude Monye, and Sunday Bada. Initially finishing behind the USA, Nigeria was later awarded the gold medal after the International Olympic Committee disqualified the USA team following Antonio Pettigrew’s admission of using performance-enhancing drugs. In the 2004 Athens Games, Udo-Obong again ran the anchor leg, this time with James Godday, Musa Audu, and Saul Weigopwa, clinching a bronze medal for Nigeria.

The graceful and elegant Mary Onyali-Omagbemi and the spirited Falilat Ogunkoya have also left their marks. Onyali-Omagbemi secured