African athletes awarded at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

During this Olympic fortnight in Tokyo, 35 African athletes have distinguished themselves, winning 37 medals, including 11 gold medals for the continent. Athletics remains the sport of choice for African athletes, with 22 medals in this discipline.

Kenya leads the ranking of the most medal-winning African countries with a total of 10 medals, 4 of which are gold, taking 19th place in the world. Kenyan Emmanuel Korir (26 yo), in his first participation in the Olympic Games, has given his country the gold medal in the 800m athletics event. Fellow Kenyan Faith Kipyegon also has finished the competition as Olympic champion, retaining her 1500m title and setting a new record.

The ranking is based on the number of gold medals won and Uganda is the second African country in the competition with 2 gold medals won in athletics by Peruth Chemutai (who has become the first Ugandan athlete in all disciplines to win gold at the Olympics) and Joshua Cheptegei (world record holder in the 5 km).

Egypt may have had only one gold medal but it has shone in the various events with a total of 6 medals. On 7 August, the Egyptian Feryal Abdelaziz has won the karate event over 61 kilos and has become the first Egyptian woman to win a gold medal. Her compatriot Ahmed El-Gendy has become the first African to win a medal at the Games in the modern pentathlon, after finishing second on 7 August in Tokyo.

Christine Mboma has made history for Namibia by winning her first Olympic medal. She has achieved athletic prowess in the 200m, setting a new record for the junior category as well as the African record.

The Botswana 4x400m relay team (Isaac Makwala, Baboloki Thebe, Zibane Ngozi, Bayapo Ndori) has also broken a new African record. Botswana has taken the bronze with a time of 2’57″27.

Hugues Fabrice Zango, one of the favorites in the triple jump event, has given Burkina Faso its first-ever Olympic medal.

Other athletes have created a general surprise during these Olympic Games. It is the case of the Tunisian swimmer Ahmed Hafnaoui who has won the gold medal on 25 July, the day of the Tunisian Republic.

Find below the list of the 35 African athletes who have won medals at the Tokyo Olympic Games:

• Eliud KIPCHOGE – Athletics – Kenya – Gold
• Emmanuel Kipkurui KORI – Athletics  – Kenya – Gold
• Faith KIPYEGON – Athletics – Kenya – Gold
• Peres JEPCHIRCHIR – Athletics – Kenya – Gold
• Brigid KOSGEI – Athletics – Kenya – Silver
• Ferguson Cheruiyot ROTICH – Athletics – Kenya – Silver
• Hellen OBIRI – Athletics – Kenya – Silver
• Timothy CHERUIYOT – Athletics –Kenya – Silver
• Benjamin KIGEN – Athletics – Kenya – Bronze
• Hyvin KIYENG – Athletics – Kenya – Bronze

• Feryal ABDELAZIZ – Karate – Egypt – Gold
• Giana LOTFY – Karate – Egypt – Bronze
• Mohamed Ibrahim Elsayed ELSAYED – Wrestling – Egypt – Bronze
• Ahmed ELGENDY – Modern Penthatlon – Egypt –Silver
• Hedaya MALAK –Taekwondo – Egypt – Bronze
• Seif EISSA – Taekwondo – Egypt – Bronze

• Selemon BAREGA – Athletics – Ethiopia – Gold
• Lamecha GIRMA – Athletics – Ethiopia – Silver
• Gudaf TSEGAY – Athletics – Ethiopia – Bronze
• Letesenbet GIDEY – Athletics – Ethiopia – Bronze

• Joshua CHEPTEGEI – Athletics – Uganda – Gold
• Peruth CHEMUTAI – Athletics – Uganda – Gold
• Joshua CHEPTEGEI – Athletics – Uganda – Silver
• Jacob KIPLIMO – Athletics – Uganda – Bronze

• Tatjana SCHOENMAKER – Swimming – South Africa – Gold 
• Tatjana SCHOENMAKER – Swimming – South Africa – Silver
• Bianca BUITENDAG – Surfing – South Africa – Silver

• Ahmed HAFNAOUI – Swimming – Tunisia – Gold
• Mohamed Khalil JENDOUBI – Taekwondo – Tunisia – Silver

• Ese BRUME – Athletics – Nigeria – Bronze
• Blessing OBORUDUDU – Wrestling – Nigeria – Silver

• Isaac MAKWALA, Baboloki THEBE, Zibane NGOZI, Bayapo NDORI – Athletics – Botswana – Bronze
• Hugues Fabrice ZANGO – Athletics – Burkina Faso – Bronze
• Ruth GBAGBI – Taekwondo – Côte d’Ivoire – Bronze
• Samuel TAKYI – Boxing – Ghana – Bronze
• Soufiane EL BAKKALI – Athletics – Morocco – Gold
• Christine MBOMA – Athletics – Namibia – Silver

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