Reuben’s defeat ends Team Nigeria’s medal hopes at Paris Olympics

Team Nigeria’s hopes of winning a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics were shattered on Saturday when reigning African women’s wrestling champion, Hannah Reuben, lost in the quarter-finals of the 76kg women’s freestyle wrestling.

Reuben, 26, was defeated 5-2 by Mongolia’s Davaanasan Amar in the Round of 16, ending Nigeria’s quest for a podium finish at this year’s Games.

With 88 athletes competing across 12 disciplines, Team Nigeria failed to secure a single medal, and Reuben’s loss was a particularly disappointing conclusion to the country’s Olympic campaign. This is the first time Nigeria has returned home from the Olympics without a medal since the 2012 London Games.

Expectations had been high for athletes like Tobi Amusan, Ese Brume, and Favour Ofili, but they fell short of expectations. After Amusan did not advance to the final of the Women’s 100m Hurdles on Friday, finishing third in her heat, all hopes rested on Reuben. Her defeat means that Team Nigeria will leave Paris without any medals.

As the Paris Olympics conclude on Sunday, August 11, 2024, Nigeria’s sports officials will turn their attention to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, where they will aim to regroup and deliver a stronger performance.