Step to the podium: How has Africa performed in the Olympics
Every 4 years, the best of the best gather from around the world to compete in a global arena. The summer Olympics brings together talent from around the world in a grand collision of athletic excellence.
The following summer Olympics will be held in 2024 in Paris. It’s bound to be an immense competition filled with record-breaking feats. But as we look to the future let’s glance at the past. How has the continent faired in this global exchange of sportsmanship?
Kenya carried the torch for the continent currently ranking 31st globally in totals medals won, and 32nd in gold medals awarded. Kenya is followed closely by South Africa ranking 35th globally with a total medal count of 89.
Here is the final Olympic medal count for each African country(with data available) that have participated in the Olympic games:
| Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya | 35 | 42 | 36 | 113 |
| South Africa | 27 | 33 | 29 | 89 |
| Ethiopia | 23 | 12 | 23 | 58 |
| Egypt | 8 | 11 | 19 | 38 |
| Nigeria | 3 | 11 | 13 | 27 |
| Morocco | 7 | 5 | 12 | 24 |
| Algeria | 5 | 4 | 8 | 17 |
| Tunisia | 5 | 3 | 7 | 15 |
| Uganda | 4 | 4 | 3 | 11 |
| Zimbabwe | 3 | 4 | 1 | 8 |
| Cameroon | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Ghana | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Namibia | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Ivory Coast | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Tanzania | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Mozambique | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Niger | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Zambia | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Burundi | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Botswana | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Sudan | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Burkina Faso | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Senegal | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Togo | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Eritrea | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Gabon | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Mauritius | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Djibouti | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
At the end of the day, it's all about popularity
Of course, countries with larger populations have an inherent advantage, so looking at the top countries by population per medal is interesting. Looking it like this, Kenya still comes out on top but this time followed by Namibia. The Tokyo olympics was actually the first time countries like Burkino Faso ever competed in Olympics so who knows in a few years this ranking could look completely different.
Here’s a look at African countries sorted by population per Olympic medal:
10 facts about Africa and the Olympics:
- Africa is the only continent to have never hosted the olympics. We had a close run with bid by cape town in 2004.
- In the Tokyo 2022 Nigeria reach the final of the Shot put for the first time in history
- Faith Kipyegon from Kenya currently holds the world record for 1500 meters
- Morocco is currently the strongest Taekwando team in Africa
- The first black African to win a gold medal for his country was Ethiopian marathon runner Abebe Bikila, who ran barefoot in Rome, in 1960.
- 4 of 5 of Namibia’s medals so far have come from Frankie Fredericks, who won silver in won silver in both the 100 and 200 metres in 1992, and again in 1996. He now has a street named after him in Windhoek.
- South Africa was the first African nation to enter the Olympic winter games in 1960, their chosen sport, Figure Skating
- Egypt’s first-ever Olympic gold medalist was El Sayed Mohamed Nosseir, who won gold in weightlifting at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam.
- At the 2022 Winter Games, currently underway, Africa is represented by six athletes from five countries: Eritrea, Ghana, Madagascar, Morocco, and Nigeria. Five are competing in Alpine (downhill) skiing and one in cross-country skiing.
- In 1976 many African nations boycotted the Olympics. It was organized by Tanzania to protest the fact that the New Zealand rugby team had toured Apartheid South Africa and that New Zealand was scheduled to compete in the Olympic Games.
