Nigeria competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Originally scheduled to take place from 24 July to 9 August 2020, the Games were postponed to 23 July to 8 August 2021, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the nation made its debut in 1952, Nigerian athletes have appeared in every edition of the Summer Olympic Games, with the exception of the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal because of the African boycott.
Medalists
Medal Name Sport Event Date Blessing Oborududu Wrestling Women's freestyle 68 kg Ese Brume Athletics Women's long jump
Competitors The following is the list of number of Nigerian competitors in the Games. SportMenWomenTotalAthletics 7 7 14Badminton 2 1 3Basketball 12 12 24Canoeing 0 1 1Gymnastics 1 0 1Rowing 0 1 1Swimming 0 1 1Table tennis 2 2 4Taekwondo 0 1 1Wrestling 1 4 5 Total 25 30 55
Summary Mass disqualification of Nigerian athletes On 28 July 2021, the Athletics Integrity Unit announced that Nigeria had failed to meet the minimum drug testing requirements as per "Rule 15", which requires at least three no-notice outside of competition blood and urine drug tests no less than three weeks apart for 10 of their athletes. As such, all 10 athletes were disqualified from participating in their events. Those disqualified included Rosemary Chukwuma, Annette Echikunwoke, Favour Ofili, Chidi Okezie, Chioma Onyekwere, and Ruth Usoro.
Doping On 31 July 2021 the Athletics Integrity Unit announced that Blessing Okagbare was provisionally suspended following a positive doping test for Human Growth Hormone from a sample collected outside of competition on 19 July 2021.
Athletics
Nigerian athletes further achieved the entry standards, either by qualifying time or by world ranking, in the following track and field events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event):
Track & road events Men AthleteEventHeatQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRankEnoch Adegoke100 mcolspan=2 9.98 PB1 Q10.002 QUsheoritse Itsekiricolspan=2 10.153 Q10.297Did not advanceDivine Oduduru100 mcolspan=2 Did not advance200 m20.362 Qcolspan=2 20.163Did not advance
Women AthleteEventHeatQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRankNzubechi Grace Nwokocha100 mcolspan=2 11.00 PB3 Q11.075Did not advanceBlessing Okagbarecolspan=2 11.051 QDid not advanceNzubechi Grace Nwokocha200 m22.47 PB3 Qcolspan=2 22.47 PB4Did not advancePatience Okon George400 m52.417colspan=2 Did not advanceTobi Amusan100 m hurdles12.721 Qcolspan=2 12.621 Q12.604Tobi AmusanEse BrumePatience Okon GeorgeNzubechi Grace Nwokocha4 × 100 m relay43.256colspan=4 did not advance
Mixed AthleteEventHeat FinalResultRankResultRankPatience Okon GeorgeSamson Oghenewegba NathanielIfeanyi Emmanuel OjeliImaobong Nse Uko4 × 400 m relay3:13.60 7Did not advance
Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionChukwuebuka EnekwechiMen's shot put21.16 7 q19.7412Ese BrumeWomen's long jump6.766 Q6.97
Badminton
Nigeria entered three badminton players for each of the following events into the Olympic tournament. Godwin Olofua and Anuoluwapo Juwon Opeyori (men's doubles), with Dorcas Ajoke Adesokan on the women's side, topped the field of badminton players from Africa to lock the places on the Nigerian squad in their respective events based on the BWF Race to Tokyo Rankings.
AthleteEventGroup stageEliminationQuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankDorcas Ajoke AdesokanWomen's singlesL (10–21, 2–21)L (3–21, 6–21)3Did not advanceGodwin OlofuaAnuoluwapo Juwon OpeyoriMen's doublesL (2–21, 7–21)L (7–21, 10–21)L (8–21, 10–21)4Did not advance
Basketball
Summary TeamEventGroup stageQuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankNigeria men'sMen's tournamentL 65–84L 92–99L 71–804 did not advanceNigeria women'sWomen's tournamentL 72–81L 62–87L 83–1024Did not advance
Men's tournament
Nigeria men's basketball team qualified for the Olympics as the highest-ranked African squad at the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China.
Team roster
Group play
Women's tournament
Nigeria women's basketball team qualified for the Olympics as one of two highest-ranked eligible squads from group A at the Belgrade meet of the 2020 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament, marking the country's recurrence to the sporting event after 16 years.
Team roster
Group play
Canoeing
Sprint Nigeria qualified a single boat (women's C-1 200 m) for the Games by winning the gold medal at the 2019 African Games in Rabat, Morocco, marking the country's Olympic debut in this sporting discipline.
AthleteEventHeatsQuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankAyomide Emmanuel BelloWomen's C-1 200 m47.5393 QF47.3263Did not advance Qualification Legend: FA = Qualify to final (medal); FB = Qualify to final B (non-medal)
Gymnastics
Artistic Nigeria entered one artistic gymnast into the Olympic competition. Uche Eke booked a spot in the men's individual all-around and apparatus events by winning the bronze medal at the 2021 African Gymnastics Championships in Cairo, Egypt. This marks the country's Olympic debut in gymnastics.
Men AthleteEventQualificationFinalApparatusTotalRankApparatusTotalRankUche EkeAll-around12.83312.86611.90013.43312.23311.50074.76558Did not advance
Rowing
Nigeria qualified one boat in the women's single sculls for the Games by finishing third in the B-final and securing the last of five berths available at the 2019 FISA African Olympic Qualification Regatta in Tunis, Tunisia.
AthleteEventHeatsRepechageQuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankEsther TokoWomen's single sculls8:58.495 R9:07.544 SE/Fcolspan=2 9:07.703 FE8:42.7830 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 received a universality invitation from FINA to send a top-ranked female swimmer in her respective individual events to the Olympics, based on the FINA Points System of June 28, 2021.
AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankAbiola OgunbanwoWomen's 100 m freestyle59.7448Did not advance
Table tennis
Nigeria entered four athletes into the table tennis competition at the Games. Olajide Omotayo, along with Olympic veterans Offiong Edem and Olufunke Oshonaike, scored a semifinal victories to occupy the available spots each in the men's and women's singles, respectively, at the 2020 African Olympic Qualification Tournament in Tunis, Tunisia. For Oshonaike, she set a historic record by becoming the first ever African woman to participate in seven editions of the Summer Olympic Games.
AthleteEventPreliminaryRound 1Round 2Round 3Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankQuadri ArunaMen's singlescolspan=3 L 2–4Did not advanceOlajide OmotayoL 0–4Did not advanceOffiong EdemWomen's singlesW 4–1L 1–4Did not advanceOlufunke OshonaikeL 1–4Did not advance
Taekwondo
Nigeria entered one athlete into the taekwondo competition at the Games for the first time since London 2012. Elizabeth Anyanacho secured a spot in the women's welterweight category (67 kg) with a top two finish at the 2020 African Qualification Tournament in Rabat, Morocco.
AthleteEventRound of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsRepechageFinal / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankElizabeth AnyanachoWomen's −67 kgL 7–12Did not advance
Wrestling
Nigeria qualified five wrestlers for each of the following classes into the Olympic competition. One of them finished among the top six to book an Olympic berth in the women's freestyle 57 kg at the 2019 World Championships, while four additional licenses were awarded to the Nigerian wrestlers, who progressed to the top two finals of their respective weight categories at the 2021 African & Oceania Qualification Tournament in Hammamet, Tunisia.
Freestyle AthleteEventRound of 16QuarterfinalSemifinalRepechageFinal / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankEkerekeme AgiomorMen's −86 kgL 1–4 SPDid not advance13Adijat IdrisWomen's −50 kgL 0–4 STDid not advance15Odunayo AdekuoroyeWomen's −57 kgL 0–5 VTDid not advance13Aminat AdeniyiWomen's −62 kgL 0–5 VTDid not advance16Blessing OborududuWomen's −68 kgW 4–1 SPW 3–1 PPW 3–1 PPL 1–3 PP
References