With less than a month to go before the Dakar 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games on 31 October, take a look back at the greatest achievements by African athletes at the Olympic Games with 10 performances that made history.
This edition promises to be historic because, for the very first time in history, Olympic sports competitions will be held in Africa. This marks a new milestone for a continent whose athletes have achieved numerous feats at the Games.
From Abebe Bikila at the Rome 1960 Olympic Games to Kaylia Nemour at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, without forgetting Nawal El Moutawakel or Eliud Kipchoge, they have made their mark on Olympic history with remarkable performances.
As the countdown to Dakar 2026 continues and excitement builds in Senegal and across Africa, take a look back at the greatest performances by African athletes at the Olympic Games.
Book your seat and be part of history: https://tickets.dakar2026.org/en
Abebe Bikila
- Nation: Ethiopia
- Sport: Athletics
- Olympic medals: 🥇 in marathon men at Rome 1960, 🥇 in marathon men at Tokyo 1964
The images of Abebe Bikila running the marathon at Rome 1960 are iconic. The Ethiopian won the gold medal after running the 42.195 km barefoot. He defended his title four years later at Tokyo 1964, becoming the first athlete to win two consecutive Olympic marathons.
What do you do when your shoes wear out and you have an Olympic Games marathon to run? Take Abebe Bikila’s advice and go barefoot.
Nawal El Moutawakel
- Nation: Morocco
- Sport: Athletics
- Olympic medal: 🥇 in 400m hurdles women at Los Angeles 1984
A lap completed in 54.61 seconds at Los Angeles 1984 secured Nawal El Moutawakel a gold medal and a place in history. With this performance in the women’s 400m hurdles final, the Moroccan became the first African woman and the first woman from a Muslim country to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games. It was a result that paved the way for an entire continent.
Derartu Tulu
- Nation: Ethiopia
- Sport: Athletics
- Olympic medals: 🥇 in 10,000m women at Barcelona 1992, 🥇 in 10,000m women at Sydney 2000, 🥉 in 10,000m women at Athens 2004
At Barcelona 1992, Derartu Tulu became the first Black African woman to win Olympic gold, in the 10,000m. At the finish line, she shared a symbolic victory lap with her white South African rival, Elana Meyer – a moment of peace and hope. She regained her title eight years later, in Sydney 2000, and then won a third Olympic medal, bronze this time, still in the 10,000m.
Nigeria’s men football team
- Nation: Nigeria
- Sport: Football
- Olympic medals: 🥇 at Atlanta 1996, 🥈 at Beijing 2008, 🥉 at Rio 2016
Nigeria won the men’s football tournament at Atlanta 1996. It was the first gold medal in this event at the Olympic Games for an African team, and it’s not really a surprise when you pay attention to the Super Eagles’ line-up: Nwankwo Kanu, Celestine Babayaro, Taribo West and Jay-Jay Okocha. On their way to the Olympic title, they beat other super stars such as Brazil with Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos in semi-final or Argentina with Hernán Crespo and Diego Simeone in final.
At Atlanta 1996, Nigeria made African football history by claiming Olympic gold. The team included their talismanic forward Nwankwo Kanu, who defied the odds to become one of Africa’s greatest footballers.
Hicham El Guerrouj
- Nation: Morocco
- Sport: Athletics
- Olympic medals: 🥈 in 1500m men at Sydney 2000, 🥇 in 1500m men and 🥇 5000m men at Athens 2004
Hicham El Guerrouj is known as one of the greatest middle-distance runners ever. After a silver medal in 1500 m at Sydney 2000, the Moroccan won double gold in the 1500m and 5000m at Athens 2004. He truly left a mark on athletics with his 1500m world record still standing almost 30 years later.
The Moroccan legend won an Olympic gold medal in both the 1500m and 5000m in Athens 2004 after two dramatic failures. See where he is now.
Tirunesh Dibaba
- Nation: Ethiopia
- Sport: Athletics
- Olympic medals: 🥉 in 5000m women at Athens 2004, 🥇 in 5000m women and 🥇 in 10,000m women at Beijing 2008, 🥇 in 10,000m women and 🥉 in 5000m women at London 2012, 🥉 in 10,000m women at Rio 2016
Tirunesh Dibaba achieved a first-ever double for a woman at Beijing 2008. Having already won bronze in the women’s 5000m in Athens 2004, she claimed two gold medals at the same Olympic Games four years later: in the 5000m and the 10,000m. The Ethiopian didn’t stop there, making history once again at London 2012 by defending her title in the 10,000m, becoming the first woman ever to do so.
Eliud Kipchoge
- Nation: Kenya
- Sport: Athletics
- Olympic medals: 🥉 in 5000m men at Athens 2004, 🥈 in 5000m men at Beijing 2008, 🥇 in marathon men at Rio 2016, 🥇 in marathon men at Tokyo 2020
Eliud Kipchoge excelled on the track and then on the road at the Olympic Games. While the Kenyan is best known for his two Olympic marathon titles at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, his first Olympic achievements took place more than a decade earlier. That’s right, before becoming a marathon legend, Eliud Kipchoge shone in the men’s 5000m, winning a bronze medal at Athens 2004 and a silver medal at Beijing 2008. An extraordinary record for an athlete who has made history in his sport.
Kirsty Coventry
- Nation: Zimbabwe
- Sport: Swimming
- Olympic medals: 🥇 in 200m backstroke women, 🥈 in 100m backstroke women and 🥉 in 200m individual medley at Athens 2004; 🥇 in 200m backstroke women, 🥈 in 100m backstroke women, 🥈 in 200m individual medley women and 🥈 in 400 m individual medley women at Beijing 2008
Kirsty Coventry is Africa’s most successful woman Olympian, having won two gold medals, four silver medals, and one bronze medal in swimming at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008. She is also the first woman and first African to be elected President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), a position she holds today.
Cheick Sallah Cissé
- Nation: Ivory Coast
- Sport: Taekwondo
- Olympic medals: 🥇 in men’s -90kg at Rio 2016, 🥉 in men’s +90 kg at Paris 2024
Cheick Sallah Cissé is among the few athletes who have won multiple Olympic medals in taekwondo. To add to what is an already incredible accomplishment, the Ivorian did it in two different weight categories, winning first a gold medal in men’s -90kg at Rio 2016 then a bronze medal in men’s +90kg at Paris 2024. He was the first African to win an Olympic title in taekwondo.
Kaylia Nemour
- Nation: Algeria
- Sport: Artistic Gymnastics
- Olympic medal: 🥇 in women’s uneven bars at Paris 2024
Kaylia Nemour made Olympic history at Paris 2024. The Algerian became the first African gymnast to win a medal at the Olympic Games. And it wasn’t just any medal: she won gold on the uneven bars. “Winning the first medal for the African continent and for Algeria is crazy, it’s surreal. I can’t quite believe that I’m the first to do this, so I’m very proud,” she told Olympics.com a few days after her victory.
Kaylia Nemour
The Women’s Uneven Bars Final was held on 04/08/2024 at Bercy Arena, Paris. Kaylia Nemour became Algeria’s first ever Olympic Gymnastics Gold medalist, Qui Qiyuan (CHN) won Silver and Sunisa Lee (USA) completed the podium.
SOURCE: OLYMPICS.COM
