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Curtains rolled down after a great show at the Paris 2024 Olympics where team Uganda made it a special number 13 in the history of the tournament after they sat 55th on this edition’s medal tally list out of 84 participating nations.
This was all thanks to Olympic record breaker Joshua Cheptegei’s Gold in the 10,000m and Peruth Chemutai’s silver in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase, a performance which mirrored Uganda’s ounce best ever Olympics at Munich 72 when the late John Akii-Bua won the country’s very first Olympic gold after an iconic 400m hurdles finish and flyweight boxer Leo Rwabogo’s silver.
But that was long before any of Uganda’s competing athletes was born, and this era found legends of it’s own from the previous Tokyo2020 Olympics in Cheptegei, Chemutai and Jacob Kiplimo, this trio inspired Uganda to its most successful Olympics. Four medals with two Golds, silver and bronze a piece. Not a performance that has been replicated this year but there’s more reasons for Ugandans to be covered in glory than sorrow.
The country’s only female Olympic medalist Chemutai finished off in tears after missing out on Gold but she has since vowed not to take part in the forthcoming World championships so she can prepare to reclaim her Olympic title.
Cheptegei announced the 10,000m was the very last of him we saw on track-what a way to say goodbye with a golden wave! Him, together with Kiplimo pulled out of the 5,000m days before which meant Uganda would lose it’s gold and silver medalists from Tokyo, leaving Oscar Chelimo all on his own who eventually had a silent 20th finish.
2019 World 800m champion Halima Nakaayi failed to make it to the semis across the distance, only managing 6th place in the reparcharge, a similar fate for Tom Dradriga the men’s and Winnie Nanyondo in 1,500m. Sprinter, Tarsis Orogot didn’t make it the 200m finals but still won hearts of very men Ugandans.
Tarsis Orogot
At the very last day of the event, 2018 commonwealth 10,000m gold medalist Stella Chesang finished eith in the women’s marathon to weigh off a start by Rower Kathleen Noble, cyclist Charles Kagimu and the two swimmers Gloria Muzito and Jesse Ssengonzi.
Jesse Ssengonzi in the swim race.
Kathleen Noble in her final race.
Uganda’s Medal tally in the Summer Games.
| Games | Athletes | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 Melbourne | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1960 Rome | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1964 Tokyo | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1968 Mexico City | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 38 |
| 1972 Munich | 33 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 24 |
| 1976 Montreal | did not participate | |||||
| 1980 Moscow | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 32 |
| 1984 Los Angeles | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1988 Seoul | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992 Barcelona | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996 Atlanta | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 71 |
| 2000 Sydney | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004 Athens | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008 Beijing | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012 London | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 50 |
| 2016 Rio de Janeiro | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020 Tokyo | 25 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 36 |
| 2024 Paris | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 55 |
| 2028 Los Angeles | future event | |||||
| 2032 Brisbane | ||||||
| Total | 5 | 5 | 3 | 13 | 72 | |
