David GOMBE
After 16 days of competition, the 2024 Paris Olympic games climaxed on Sunday in the French capital.
Team Uganda finished joint 55th along with Botswana with two medals each, made up of one gold and one silver medal.
The two medals were won by Joshua Cheptegei (10000m gold) and Peruth Chemutai (3000m Women’s Steeplechase silver).
This was however a decline to Uganda’s performance at the Tokyo games were the East African nation finished 35th with four medals (two golds, one silver and a bronze).
Kenya finished in 17 position and were the top ranked African nation after garnering four gold, two silver and five bronze for a total of 11.
Other African countries which made the medals table include Algeria who were placed joint 39th with two gold and one bronze for a total of three.
The others are South Africa in joint 44th with a total six medals (1 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze), and Ethiopia in 47th with a total of four (1 gold, 3 silver).
Egypt and Tunisia were joint 52nd with a total of three medals each, one gold, one silver and one bronze medal.
Morocco was placed 60th with one gold and one bronze for a total two, while Côte d’Ivoire were in 84th place alongside Cape Verde and Zambia with one bronze each.
West African nation Nigeria did not make the medals table at the Games which had 205 countries participating.
Meanwhile, USA won the XXXIII edition after winning 40 gold medals, 44 silver and 42 bronze.
The Americans finished above China courtesy of winning more silver than the Asians who scooped 27 silver medals
Japan were third with 20 gold, 12 silver and 13 bronze for a total of 45, while Australia were in fourth place with 18 gold, 19 silver and 16 bronze for a total of 53.
Host nation France was in fifth place with 16 gold, 26 silver and 22 bronze making a total of 64.
The next edition of the Games is scheduled for 2028 in Los Angeles in the United States of America.
Uganda now has managed 13 medals in Olympic games history, eight of these including all the five golds coming in athletics.
