2016 Rio Olympics: How did African countries perform?

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The 2016 Olympic Games are over. Africa is digesting its display in Rio with 11 African countries taking home a total of 45 Olympian medals (10 Gold, 18 Silver, and 17 Bronze). The continent won 13 more medals than they did in the 2012 London Olympics however, fewer gold medals were won in Rio.

YEARGOLDSILVERBRONZETOTAL MEDALSCOUNTRIES WITH MEDALS
2016 Rio Olympics1018174511
2012 London Olympics131093211
2008 Beijing Olympics1314134013

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Which African countries produced Olympians this year?

Of the 54 African nations represented at the Rio Olympics, 11 won at least one medal.

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Kenya’s David Lekuta Rudisha celebrates after winning the Men’s 800m Final during the 2016 Rio Olympics athletics competition Photo Credit: AFP

Kenya topped the medals table for the continent with 13 total medals, 6 of which were gold. The country dominated the Athletics category on the continent.

COUNTRYGOLDSILVERBRONZETOTAL MEDLAS
KENYA66113
SOUTH AFRICA26210
ETHIOPIA1258
IVORY COAST112
ALGERIA22
BURUNDI11
NIGER11
EGYPT33
TUNISIA33
MOROCCO11
NIGERIA11

2016 African Olympian Medalists

There were 1017 athletes representing 54 African nations. Records were broken, history was made, legends confirmed and superstars born.

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South Africa’s Wayde Van Niekerk wins gold and sets new Olympic World Record – Photo Source: CNN

In athletics, Africa made history by breaking two world records. South Africa’s Wayde van Niekirk broke Michael Johnson’s 17-year-old men’s 400m record and Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana smashed Wang Junxia’s 1993 women’s 10,000m record by 14 seconds, clocking 29 minutes, 17.45 seconds.

Ayana Almaz Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana sets new world record at the Rio Olympics

  • African countries took all 3 medals in 3 events.
    • In Women’s 10000m Ethiopia won the Gold and Bronze and Kenya won the Silver.
    • For Women’s 5000m Kenya won the Gold and Silver and Ethiopia won the Bronze.
    • In Women’s 800m South Africa won the Gold, Burundi the Silver and Kenya the Bronze.

Below is a list of all the African athletes that won medals in Rio.

CATEGORYEVENTGOLDSILVERBRONZE
ATHLETICSMen’s 10,000mKENYA: Paul Kipngetich TanuiETHIOPIA: Tamirat Tola
ATHLETICSMen’s 1500mALGERIA: Taoufik Makhloufi
ATHLETICSMen’s 3000m SteeplechaseKENYA: Conseslus Kipruto
ATHLETICSMen’s 400m
SOUTH AFRICA: Wayde Van Niekerk
ATHLETICSMen’s 400m HurdlesKENYA: Boniface Mucheru Tumuti
ATHLETICSMen’s 5000mETHIOPIA: Hagos Gebrhiwet
ATHLETICSMen’s 800mKENYA: David Lekuta RudishaALGERIA: Taoufik Makhloufi
ATHLETICSMen’s Javelin ThrowKENYA: Julius Yego
ATHLETICSMen’s Long JumpSOUTH AFRICA: Luvo Manyonga
ATHLETICSMen’s MarathonKENYA: Eliud KipchogeETHIOPIA: Feyisa Lilesa
ATHLETICSWomen’s 10,000mETHIOPIA: Almaz AyanaKENYA: Vivian Jepkemoi CheruiyotETHIOPIA: Tirunesh Dibaba
ATHLETICSWomen’s 1500mKENYA: Faith Chepngetich KipyegonETHIOPIA: Genzebe Dibaba
ATHLETICSWomen’s 3000m SteeplechaseKENYA: Hyvin Kiyeng Jepkemoi
ATHLETICSWomen’s 5000mKENYA: Vivian Jepkemoi CheruiyotKENYA: Hellen Onsando ObiriETHIOPIA: Almaz Ayana
ATHLETICSWomen’s 800mSOUTH AFRICA: Caster SemenyaBURUNDI: Francine NiyonsabaKENYA: Margaret Nyairera Wambui
ATHLETICSWomen’s Javelin ThrowSOUTH AFRICA: Sunette Viljoen
ATHLETICSWomen’s MarathonKENYA: Jemima Jelagat SumgongETHIOPIA: Mare Dibaba
BOXINGMen’s Welter (69kg)MOROCCO: Mohammed Rabii
FENCINGWomen’s Foil IndividualTUNISIA: Ines Boubakri
ROWINGMen’s PairSOUTH AFRICA: Keeling / Brittain
RUGBY SEVENSMenSOUTH AFRICA
SOCCERMenNIGERIA
SWIMMINGMen’s 100m BreaststrokeSOUTH AFRICA: Cameron Van Der Burgh
SWIMMINGMen’s 100m ButterflySOUTH AFRICA: Chad Guy Bertrand Le Clos
SWIMMINGMen’s 200m Freestyle
SOUTH AFRICA: Chad Guy Bertrand Le Clos
TAEKWONDOMen -80kgIVORY COAST: Cheick Sallah Junior CisseTUNISIA: Oussama Oueslati
TAEKWONDOMen +80kgNIGER: Abdoulrazak Issoufou Alfaga
TAEKWONDOWomen -57kgEGYPT: Hedaya Wahba
TAEKWONDOWomen -67kg
IVORY COAST: Ruth Marie Christelle Gbagbi
TRIATHLONMenSOUTH AFRICA: Henri Schoeman
WEIGHTLIFTING
Men’s 77kg

EGYPT: Mohamed Mahmoud
WEIGHTLIFTINGWomen’s 69kgEGYPT: Sara Ahmed
WRESTLINGWomen’s Freestyle 58 kgTUNISIA: Marwa Amri

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