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Thrills, Spills, Drama Mark Africa's Olympics 2020 Journey

There have been a few bursts of brilliance from the African continent at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. South African athletes saw a silver medal win for Tatjana Schoenmaker in the women's 100m breaststroke, while compatriot Bianca Buitendag won silver in her event, surfing. Gold soon followed for Schoenmaker who set the pool alight with a stroke of genius that saw her set a world record in the 200m breaststroke in a time of 2:18.95.

Tunisian swimmer Ahmed Hafnaoui won gold in the 400m freestyle in a time of 3:43.36. Ethiopian athlete Selemon Barega powered to a 10,000m win in a time of 27:43.22. And Nigeria's Esme Brume won her country's first athletics gold medal in 13 years in the long jump with a leap of 6:97m.

Meanwhile, athletes made headlines for their actions outside the stadium too.

Several Nigerian athletes protested against their disqualification for their failure to undertake three mandatory, out-of-competition drug tests. Nigeria's gold medal hope, athlete Blessing Okagbare, has also been banned for using an illegal substance. The athletes have laid the blame for their woes at the door of the Nigerian athletics federation.

Ugandan weightlifter Julius Sekitoleko disappeared, and on his subsequent return home, faces four days of detention. Namibian athletes Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi were withdrawn from the 400m event after it was revealed that they failed the world athletics sex-testing eligibility criteria. Despite this setback, the two Namibian athletes qualified for the 200m track event - making history as the first Namibian women to qualify for a track final at the Olympics and the first Namibian athletes overall, since Frank Fredericks 25 years ago in Atlanta. Mboma won silver in the 200m event, in her Olympic debut.

Ugandan men's 10,000m athletes Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo could only manage silver and bronze respectively in their event, losing out to Ethiopia's Selemon Barega who took gold. However their Ugandan compatriot Peruth Chemutai took the women's 3,000m steeplechase gold with her rock solid showing of great technique. It is the first time a Ugandan woman wins an Olympic medal in any sport.

Among the disappointments though - and there were many - is South Africa's Wayde Van Niekerk who missed his chance to defend his 400m world title and Chad le Clos also missing his chance at gold, placing fifth in the men's 200m butterfly swimming event. South Africa's 4x100m men's team also disappointed when they dropped the baton in their race. A huge shock for Nigeria in the women's freestyle wrestling 57kg category, was when Odunayo Adenkuoroye, in the lead 8-0 to her opponent Anastasia Nichita of Moldova, and two points from victory, was pinned down by her opponent, losing out on a medal. Adenkuoroye who was inconsolable, was set to emulate compatriot Blessing Oborududu's performance, after she won Nigeria's first women's wrestling medal with a Silver in the 68kg freestyle wrestling category.  

Let's wait and see if the continent's athletes can earn more podium finishes at Olympics 2020, which ends on August 8, 2021.

InFocus

Shinnosuke Ando / Unsplash, Pixabay, Santeri Viinamäki/Wikimedia Commons

Olympic events (file photo).

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