AFRICA’S MEDAL HOPEFULS AT THE 2024 OLYMPIC GAMES.
Africa will be striving to come back from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with precious metals in their pocket in the form of gold, silver and bronze. The Games will be staged from July 26 to August 11 and among the 10,500 athletes taking part, there are many from the African continent who will be genuine medal contenders. We select 10 who could be on the podium in Paris.
JOSHUA CHEPTEGEI • UGANDA
The 27-year-old took gold in the 5,000 meters and silver in the 10,000 meters at the Tokyo Games three years ago and has maintained that form since, espe- cially at the longer distance where he remains ranked at number one in the world. He won the gold at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest last year, always a strong indicator for Olympic form. He holds the world record over both distances.
PIETER COETZE • SOUTH AFRICA
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Coetze recently turned 20 and is the rising star of South African swimming after claiming fivegold medals at the national swimming championships in April. He has qualified for the 100-meters and 200-meters back- stroke in Paris having claimed gold (100 meters), silver (50 meters) and bronze (200 meters) at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and secured another bronzein the 200 meters at this year’s World Aquatic Championships in Doha. He will hope for a podium place at the Olympics.
SOUFIANE EL BAKKALI • MOROCCO
The Moroccan is the 3,000-meter steeplechase Olympic champion, having claimed gold in Tokyo and with wins in the World Championships in 2022 and 2023, will be the overwhelming favourite to repeat that feat. He also competed in the 1,500 meters in Tokyo but did not finish the race and is unlikely to attempt that experiment again, concentrating only on his pre- ferred event. His biggest rival is the Ethiopian Lamecha Girma, who set a new world record time of 7:52.11 in 2023.
VICTOR KIPLANGAT • UGANDA
The 24-year-old won gold in the marathon at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and at the World Championships in Budapest last year, so is the form runner in the men’s event. His win at the Common-
wealth Games came despite him taking a wrong turn near the end of the race. The tragic death of world record holder Kelvin Kiptum in a car accident in February this year makes his training partner Kiplan- gat a favorite in Paris, though there is no shortage of competition in this event.
FAITH KIPYEGON • KENYA
Kipyegon is a double Olympic 1,500-me- ters champion having won gold in 2016 and 2020, and showed she is as fast as ever ater seting a new world re- cord of 3:49.11 in 2023. She also claimed 5,000-meters gold at the World Champi- onships last year and at the age of 30, is in the form of her life. There is no word on whether she will tackle the 5,000 meters in Paris, but broke the world record over that distance in the French capital last year, though her mark has since been lowered by Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay.
TATJANA SMITH • SOUTH AFRICA
The South African 100-meters and 200-meters breaststroke queen has a new surname these days following her marriage to Joel Smith, the brother of Springbok captain Siya Kolisi’s wife Rachel. The 26-year-old has had a tough 2024 with injury but has booked her place in Paris and will look to add to her Olympic medals tally ater gold in the 200 meters and silver in the 100 meters in Tokyo. She remains one of South Africa’s best medal hopes in Paris.
LETSILE TEBOGO • BOTSWANA
The 20-year-old sprinter claimed the silver medal in the 100 meters at the World Championships last year in a rapid time of 9.88 seconds, and also took bronze in the 200 meters. He is in a hugely competi- tive ield, but is seen as one of the best up-and-coming sprinters in the world. Could these Games come too soon for him? Perhaps, but he will certainly be one to watch in the glamor event at the Olympics.
GUDAF TSEGAY • ETHIOPIA
Tsegay took bronze in the 5,000 meters in Tokyo, but will be looking for much more than that this time round having set a new world record just last year. She also claimed the gold medal in the 10,000 meters at the World Champion- ships in Budapest and was 2023 Diamond League champion for over 5,000. Just to show her all-round capabilities, she is also record holder indoors for the 1,500 meters. She will likely race over 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters in Paris.
EMMANUEL WANYONYI• KENYA
At just 19 years of age, Wanyonyi is a relatively new name on the circuit, but he has been making waves and claimed a silver medal at last year’s World Championships to go with gold as 2023 Diamond League champion. Canadian Marco Arop is his big rival and it is likely they will take the top two places on the podium, though in what order we don’t know.
HUGUES FABRICE ZANGO• BURKINA FASO
Zango won bronze in Tokyo, but his form in the triple jump has improved immea- surably since then and he is perhaps a favorite for gold in Paris. He won irst prize at the World Championships and was rated number one in 2023, having also taken gold at the World Indoor Championships, seting himself up as the man to beat.
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