Nigeria competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, from 5 to 21 August 2016. Since the nation made its debut in 1952, Nigerian athletes had appeared in every edition of the Summer Olympic Games, with the exception of the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal because of the African boycott.
Nigeria Olympic Committee fielded a squad of 77 athletes, 51 men and 26 women, to compete in ten sports at the Games. It was the nation's largest delegation sent to the Olympics since 2000, increasing by a third of its full roster size at London 2012. Among the sports represented by the nation's athletes, Nigeria marked its Olympic debut in rowing, as well as its return to swimming and men's football after an eight-year hiatus. Apart from the men's football squad, Nigeria also returned to the Olympic scene in men's basketball for the second consecutive time.
Topping the list of most experienced athletes on the Nigerian roster were table tennis players Segun Toriola, who set a record as Africa's first ever athlete to feature in seven Olympics, and Olufunke Oshonaike, who became the first female from her country to compete at her sixth consecutive Games. Other notable Nigerian competitors also included sprinter and 2008 bronze medalist Blessing Okagbare, British-born slalom kayaker Jonathan Akinyemi, basketball players Chamberlain Oguchi and Alade Aminu, and weightlifting veteran Mariam Usman (women's +75 kg). Football midfielder John Obi Mikel was named the captain of the Nigerian squad, while Oshonaike acted as both his assistant and the nation's flag bearer at the opening ceremony.
Nigeria left Rio de Janeiro with only a bronze medal won by the men's football squad (captained by Mikel), scoring a 3–2 triumph over the Hondurans.
Medalists
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Medal Name Sport Event Date Nigeria Olympic football team Football Men's tournament
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Medals by sport/disciplineSport TotalFootball 0 0 1 1Total 0 0 1 1
Medals by dayDay TotalAugust 20 0 0 1 1Total 0 0 1 1
Medals by genderGender TotalMale0011Female0000Total 0 0 1 1
Athletics (track and field)
Nigerian athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event):
Following the end of the qualifying period on July 11, 2016, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) had selected a list of 27 athletes for the Games, featuring long jumper, sprinter, and Beijing 2008 bronze medalist Blessing Okagbare.
Track & road events Men AthleteEventHeatQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRankOgho-Oghene Egwero100 mcolspan=2 10.376Did not advanceSeye Ogunlewecolspan=2 10.264Did not advanceTega Odele200 m21.258colspan=2 Did not advanceEjowvokoghene Oduduru20.342 Qcolspan=2 20.597Did not advanceOrukpe Erayokan400 m47.427colspan=2 Did not advanceAntwon Hicks110 m hurdles13.704 Qcolspan=2 14.267Did not advanceMiles Ukaoma400 m hurdles49.845colspan=2 Did not advance
Women AthleteEventHeatQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRankGloria Asumnu100 mcolspan=2 11.555Did not advanceJennifer Maducolspan=2 11.615Did not advanceBlessing Okagbare100 mcolspan=2 11.162 Q11.093Did not advance200 m22.711 Qcolspan=2 22.695Did not advanceMargaret Bamgbose400 m51.433 qcolspan=2 51.927Did not advancePatience Okon George51.832 Qcolspan=2 52.528Did not advanceOmolara Omotosho53.225colspan=2 Did not advanceOluwatobiloba Amusan100 m hurdles12.995 qcolspan=2 12.913Did not advanceAmaka Ogoegbunam400 m hurdles56.964colspan=2 Did not advanceGloria AsumnuJennifer MaduBlessing OkagbareAgnes OsazuwaPeace Uko4 × 100 m relay42.552 Qcolspan=4 43.218
Field events Men AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionTosin OkeTriple jump16.4723Did not advanceOlu Olamigoke16.1032Did not advanceStephen MoziaShot put18.9828Did not advance
Women AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionEse BrumeLong jump6.673 Q6.815Doreen AmataHigh jump1.8927Did not advanceNwanneka OkweloguShot put16.6729Did not advanceChinwe OkoroDiscus throw58.8514Did not advance
Combined events – Women's heptathlon AthleteEvent 200 m 800 mFinalRankUhunoma OsazuwaResult13.751.7713.1524.675.7233.42491629Points10149417379177655420
Basketball
Men's tournament
Nigeria men's basketball team qualified for the Olympics by winning the AfroBasket 2015 in Tunisia.
Team roster
Group play
Boxing
Nigeria has entered one boxer to compete in each of the following weight classes into the Olympic boxing tournament. Efe Ajagba had claimed his Olympic spot with a semifinal victory at the 2016 African Qualification Tournament in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankEfe AjagbaMen's super heavyweightW L 0–3Did not advance
Canoeing
Slalom Nigeria has qualified one canoeist in the men's K-1 class by obtaining a top finish at the 2015 African Canoe Slalom Championships in Sagana, Kenya.
AthleteEventPreliminarySemifinalFinalRun 1RankRun 2RankBestRankTimeRankTimeRankJonathan AkinyemiMen's K-1107.4920104.5919104.5920Did not advance
Football
Men's tournament
Nigeria men's football team qualified for the Olympics by attaining a top two finish at the 2015 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations in Senegal.
Team roster
Group play
Quarterfinal
Semifinal
Bronze medal match
Rowing
Nigeria has qualified one boat in the women's single sculls for the Games at the 2015 African Continental Qualification Regatta in Tunis, Tunisia.
AthleteEventHeatsRepechageQuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankChierika UkoguWomen's single sculls8:35.343 QFcolspan=2 7:54.445 SC/D8:18.554 FD7:44.7620 Qualification Legend: FA=Final A (medal); FB=Final B (non-medal); FC=Final C (non-medal); FD=Final D (non-medal); FE=Final E (non-medal); FF=Final F (non-medal); SA/B=Semifinals A/B; SC/D=Semifinals C/D; SE/F=Semifinals E/F; QF=Quarterfinals; R=Repechage
Swimming
Nigeria has received a Universality invitation from FINA to send two swimmers (one male and one female) to the Olympics, signifying its return to the sport after an eight-year hiatus.
AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankSamson OpuakpoMen's 50 m freestyle24.8559Did not advanceRechael TonjorWomen's 100 m breaststroke1:21.4342Did not advance
Table tennis
Nigeria has entered four athletes into the table tennis competition at the Games. Olympic veterans Quadri Aruna and Olufunke Oshonaike secured places each in the men's and women's singles by virtue of a top four finish at the 2015 All-Africa Games. Meanwhile, Segun Toriola and Offiong Edem took the remaining spots on the Nigerian team by virtue of their top 2 finish respectively at the African Qualification Tournament in Khartoum, Sudan. For Toriola, he has become the fourth table tennis player and the first ever African athlete to appear in seven editions of the Summer Olympic Games.
Abiodun Bode was awarded the third spot to build the men's team for the Games as the top African nation in the ITTF Olympic Rankings.
AthleteEventPreliminaryRound 1Round 2Round 3Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankQuadri ArunaMen's singlescolspan=2 W 4–1W 4–0W 4–2L 0–4Did not advanceSegun ToriolaW 4–2L 2–4Did not advanceBode AbiodunQuadri ArunaSegun ToriolaMen's teamcolspan=4 L 0–3Did not advanceOffiong EdemWomen's singlesW 4–0L 1–4Did not advanceOlufunke OshonaikeW 4–3L 2–4Did not advance
Weightlifting
Nigeria has qualified one female weightlifter for the Rio Olympics by virtue of a top four national finish at the 2016 African Championships. The team must allocate this place by June 20, 2016.
AthleteEventSnatchClean & JerkTotalRankResultRankResultRankMariam UsmanWomen's +75 kg1151115082659
Wrestling
Nigeria has qualified a total of seven wrestlers for each of the following classes into the Olympic competition. One of them finished among the top six to book Olympic spot in the women's freestyle 53 kg at the 2015 World Championships, while the majority of Olympic berths were awarded to Nigerian wrestlers, who progressed to the top two finals at the 2016 African & Oceania Qualification Tournament.
Men's freestyle AthleteEventQualificationRound of 16QuarterfinalSemifinalRepechage 1Repechage 2Final / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankAmas Daniel−65 kgL 1–3 PPDid not advance17Soso Tamarau−97 kgL 0–4 STDid not advance19
Women's freestyle AthleteEventQualificationRound of 16QuarterfinalSemifinalRepechage 1Repechage 2Final / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankMercy Genesis−48 kgL 0–3 PODid not advance14Odunayo Adekuoroye−53 kgL 0–5 VTDid not advance17Aminat Adeniyi−58 kgL 1–3 PPDid not advance16Blessing Oborududu−63 kgL 1–3 PPDid not advance14Hannah Rueben−69 kgL 1–4 SPDid not advance14
See also Nigeria at the 2016 Summer Paralympics
References
External links