Nigeria competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. This was the nation's thirteenth appearance at the Olympics, except the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, because of the African boycott. Nigerian Olympic Committee sent a total of 72 athletes, 24 men and 48 women, to the Games to compete in 10 sports. For the first time in its Olympic history, Nigeria was represented by more female than male athletes. Women's basketball and women's football were the only team-based sports in which Nigeria had its representation at these Games. There was only a single competitor in men's freestyle wrestling.
Fifteen athletes from the Nigerian team had previously competed in Sydney, including five football players from the women's squad and Olympic silver medalist Enefiok Udo-Obong in the men's 4 × 400 m relay. At age 36, sprinter Mary Onyali-Omagbemi became the first Nigerian athlete to compete in fifth Olympic Games, while table tennis players Segun Toriola and Bose Kaffo followed Onyali's footsteps to fulfill their fourth Olympic bid in Athens. For being the oldest and most experienced athlete of the team, Onyali reprised her role to carry the Nigerian flag in the opening ceremony for the second time since 1996.
Nigeria left Athens with only two Olympic bronze medals, all from the men's 4 × 100 m relay (led by Deji Aliu) and 4 × 400 m relay teams (led by Udo-Obong).
Medalists
Medal Name Sport Event Date Athletics Men's 4 × 100 m relay Athletics Men's 4 × 400 m relay
Athletics
Nigerian athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event at the 'A' Standard, and 1 at the 'B' Standard).
Men AthleteEventHeatQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRankDeji Aliu100 m10.391 Q10.265Did not advanceUchenna Emedolu10.222 Q10.153 Q10.358Did not advanceSaul Weigopwa400 m45.593 qcolspan=2 45.676Did not advanceDeji AliuAaron EgbeleUchenna EmedoluOlusoji Fasuba4 × 100 m relay38.271 Qcolspan=4 38.23Musa AuduJames GoddayEnefiok Udo-ObongSaul Weigopwa4 × 400 m relay3:01.602 Qcolspan=4 3:00.90
Women AthleteEventHeatQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRankMercy Nku100 m11.374 q11.395Did not advanceEndurance Ojokolo11.362 Q11.355Did not advanceMary Onyali-Omagbemi200 m23.376 q23.758Did not advanceGloria KemasuodeMercy NkuOludamola OsayomiEndurance Ojokolo4 × 100 m relay43.004 qcolspan=4 43.427Christy EkpukhonHalimat IsmailaNgozi Cynthia NwokochaGloria Amuche Nwosu4 × 400 m relay3:30.788colspan=4 Did not advance
Basketball
Women's tournament
Roster
Group play
Classification match (11th–12th place)
Boxing
Nigeria sent seven boxers to Athens. Five lost their first matches, while the other two made it to the quarterfinals (one with two wins, the other with a bye and a win) before being defeated.
AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankEffiong OkonLight flyweightL Did not advanceNestor BolumBantamweightW 23–17W L 14–29Did not advanceMuideen GaniyuFeatherweightW 25–16L 11–32Did not advanceAhmed SadiqLightweightL Did not advanceIsaac EkpoLight heavyweightL 11–21Did not advanceEmmanuel IzonriteiHeavyweightL 17–30Did not advanceGbenga OluokunSuper heavyweightL 13–29Did not advance
Football
Women's tournament
The Nigerian team qualified for the Olympics after defeating Ghana on penalties and edging South Africa in a two-leg playoff.
Roster
Group play
Quarterfinals
Judo
Two Nigerian judoka (one man and one woman) qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympics.
AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsRepechage 1Repechage 2Repechage 3Final / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankChukwuemeka OnyemachiMen's +100 kgL 0000–0100Did not advanceCatherine EkutaWomen's −57 kgL 0000–1010Did not advance
Swimming
Men AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankEric Williams100 m breaststroke1:07.6953Did not advance
Women AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankLenient Obia100 m backstroke1:09.6539Did not advance
Table tennis
Eight Nigerian table tennis players qualified for the following events.
Men AthleteEventRound 1Round 2Round 3Round 4QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankMonday MerotohunSinglesW 4–0L 1–4Did not advanceSegun ToriolaW 4–1L 2–4Did not advancePeter AkinlabiKazeem NosiruDoubles W 4–1L 2–4Did not advanceMonday MerotohunSegun ToriolaL 0–4Did not advance
Women AthleteEventRound 1Round 2Round 3Round 4QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankCecilia OffiongSinglesW 4–1L 0–4Did not advanceOlufunke OshonaikeW 4–0L 2–4Did not advanceOffiong EdemCecilia OffiongDoublescolspan=2 L 3–4Did not advanceBose KaffoOlufunke Oshonaikecolspan=2 L 3–4Did not advance
Taekwondo
Three Nigerian taekwondo jin qualified for the following events.
AthleteEventRound of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsRepechage 1Repechage 2Final / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankJacob ObiorahMen's −80 kgL 11–16Did not advanceChika ChukwumerijeMen's +80 kgL 0–2Did not advancePrincess DuduWomen's +67 kgL 9–12Did not advance
Weightlifting
Two Nigerian weightlifters qualified for the following events:
AthleteEventSnatchClean & JerkTotalRankResultRankResultRankBlessed UdohWomen's −48 kg75 =12105=61807Franca GbodoWomen's −58 kg95=6117.5=10212.510
Wrestling
Men's freestyle AthleteEventElimination PoolQuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionResultOppositionResultRankOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankFred Jessey−66 kgL 1–3 L 0–5 3Did not advance20
See also Nigeria at the 2004 Summer Paralympics
References
External links Official Report of the XXVIII Olympiad