Olympics end as Nigeria return with no medal

The London 2012 Olympic Games ended on Sunday with Team Nigeria returning home with no medal, raising questions over the N1.9bn budgeted for the Nigeria’s participation at the Games.
It was an unusual record compared to the nation’s achievements at the Games in the past two decades. It was one that reminded Nigerians of the woeful performance recorded when Nigerian did not win any medal at Seoul ’88.
In London, Nigeria’s hopes for medals were shouldered by the athletics team, where Blessing Okagbare was regarded as a match for Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica and Carmelita Jeter of the US in the women’s 100m. But Okagbare finished the final in the 8th position, blaming her poor performance on injury despite competing till the end.
In the long jump, she had an equally bad outing, failing to qualify for the final after finishing in the 17th position. In the women’s 4x100m relay race, Christy Udoh, Gloria Asumnu, Oludamola Osayomi and Okagbare did put up a fight but the 42.64 time recorded by them was only good as their season’s best with Nigeria ending in the 4th position.
Ajoke Odumosu also raised the nation’s hopes when she reached the 400m hurdles but she came last to end all medal expectations from the race.
The basketball team reached the Olympics for the first time with much expectation, especially after beating Greece and Lithuania, respectively ranked 4th and 5th in the world, during the qualifiers.
They even gladdened the nation’s heart with a win over African champions, Tunisia, in their first match at the Olympics, but defeats by to Lithuania, Argentina, US and France ended first basketball participation at the Games with one win.
There was disappointment after the table tennis team was ousted a day after the opening ceremony but there were last minute hopes that later produced no medals for Nigeria.
Team Nigeria’s Captain Chika Chukwumerije, who won a bronze at the last Olympic Games in Beijing, China was seen as a medal prospect in taekwondo because of the preparation he had before the Games. He did not begin his contest until a day before the closing ceremony, but in his only fight, he lost to Cuban opponent, Robelis Despaigne, in the men’s+80kg class.
A few hours after his defeat on Saturday, another hope was dashed when the women’s 4x400m relay team was disqualified in the final. It was however not the final straw as hopes of any type of medal rested on Sinivie Boltic, a male wrestler in the freestyle 96kgcategory. He drew bye into the quarterfinals where he met Republic of Moldova’s Ceban Nicolai on Sunday. But like other athletes that represented Nigeria, Boltic did not get to the medal zone, ending all hopes for Nigeria.
A few weeks before the Games commenced, there was controversy over the release of funds as sports federations bosses had to look for money to prepare athletes for the competition. Chukwumerije was the only athlete who had first class preparation for the Games. He was treated for an injury in London and sent to Korea to prepare for his taekwondo event.
Reacting to the nation’s failure in London, a member of the Association of Veteran Sports Administrators Forum, Martins Osaile, said Nigerians should hold the Federal Government responsible for the poor outing.
Osaile said, “Before 1999 when we returned to democratic rule, our sport was healthy, today it is almost dead. The present government in the hands of our people is not ready to develop sport in Nigeria. They play game with the future of our athletes. They have forgotten that there is political power in achieving excellence in global events.
“When the present head of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Sanni Ndanusa, was the president of tennis federation, I challenged him to list his achievements in the sport. To the surprise of Nigerians, he became the sports minister and now NOC president. That shows how the Nigerian government has relegated sport in Nigeria.”
Osaile advised the athletes to challenge their leaders and free themselves from their hold.
“Usain Bolt made over $30m from endorsement last year and there are many others that were not documented for public consumption. How many Nigerian athletes made anything from endorsement in the past one year? The US announced last week that camp for the 2016 Olympics would open in September, here in Nigeria, we will not start until three months to the Games,” Osaile said.
Former boxer and an Olympian, Jeremiah Okorodudu, said the boxers who represented Nigeria in London were not ready for the contest.
He said, “We had three boxers but they were not good enough to win medals. They were picked from the National Sports Festival which was wrong. If we are going to use the festival as Olympic qualifier, it should be made open. You cannot take rookies to a big event like the Olympics.”
Okorodudu also said Nigeria was heading for a major failure when training tours are not properly handled before the Games.
“In the past when Nigeria did well at the Olympics, training tours were not limited to putting athletes in a hotel and training at a remote facility. Tours are meant to expose the athletes and put them in proper shape for the big events,” he said.

Olympics Day 16: 'Glorious' Games come to an end

Fireworks light up the Olympic stadium during the closing ceremony.

Legendary track star and chairman of the London Organizing Committee Sebastian Coe congratulated his fellow Britons for a "glorious" Olympic Games on Sunday night.

"When our time came, Britain, we did it right," Coe told the 80,000 gathered at Olympic Stadium for the closing ceremony.

Coe said these "two glorious weeks" would "inspire a generation."

International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge declared the London Games officially over.

He echoed Coe's sentiments.

Day 16: The best photos of the Olympics

"These were happy and glorious Games," he said. "The legacy of the Games of the 30th Olympiad will become clear in many ways. Concrete improvements in infrastructure will benefit the host nation for years to come. The human legacy will reach every region of the world. Many young people will be inspired to take up a sport or to pursue their dreams."

As the Games came to a close, the United States led the medal count with 104 overall, 46 of them gold.

China finished second, with 87 medals, with Russia third with 82. Great Britain finished with 65, its best total since 1908.

Singers from all eras performed. There was rock great Ray Davies, pop heroes George Michael and Annie Lennox, and new boy-band One Direction. Even comedian Russell Brand joined in, singing The Beatles "I Am The Walrus."

The crowd gave the Spice Girls a rousing ovation after they performed two of their hits.

Other performers payed tribute to some of the artists who didn't attend or had passed away.

Singers Jessie J and Taio Cruz teamed with rapper Tinie Tempah to sing "You Should Be Dancing" by the Bee Gees (born on Isle of Man). Ed Sheeran led a quartet with Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason, Richard Jones of the Feeling and Mike Rutherford of Genesis in covering "Wish You Were Here."

Later Monty Python actor Eric Idle led the crowd in singing "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life."

To close the music medley Jessie J also joined Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen, belting out "We Will Rock You."

The Who closed out the ceremony with a medley of the band's hits, ending with "My Generation."

In a new twist, the 10,000-plus athletes entered the stadium through the stands, some high-fiving members of the audience as they descended the steps to the field.

There was also one final medal ceremony as Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda was awarded his marathon gold and listened along with the spectators to his national anthem.

The White House released a statement that said President Obama called British Prime Minister David Cameron congratulating London on an "extremely successful" games.

One of the U.S. golds came as expected on the basketball court, but in a tougher contest than expected.

Led by Kevin Durant's 30 points, the United States fought off a stiff challenge from Spain to win the gold medal 107-100.

The Americans defended their title from four years ago in Beijing, also against Spain.

"This game was fun. It was a challenge, but we stepped up to it," Kobe Bryant told NBC, an official broadcaster of the Games.

LeBron James had 19 points and Bryant scored 17 for the Americans, who led by only one point after the third quarter.

"We all respect each other," Durant said. "We all know it's our common goal."

Russia narrowly edged out Argentina for the bronze.

London itself took center stage on the last day of the Olympics on Sunday, with the men's marathon course running past the city's major landmarks from Big Ben to Buckingham Palace.

Kiprotich won a thrilling race in 2:08:01, dueling for miles with early leader Wilson Kipsang of Kenya and his compatriot Abel Kirui.

The Kenyans worked together to try to box the Ugandan in, but as the race neared its end, he blew past them to finish with a commanding lead, giving Uganda its first medal of any color in these Games.

Kirui took silver and Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich took the bronze, with Eritrea-born American Meb Keflezighi coming fourth, about three minutes behind the winner.

The hosts snatched yet another boxing gold medal later Sunday, with super heavyweight Anthony Joshua winning gold for Britain. Italy, whose Roberto Cammarelle won silver, launched an appeal after the fight ended 18-18. Joshua was awarded victory on countback -- using the scores of all five judges, not just the middle three scores.

"It was a tough first round. The judges will always do their job and I do my job," the champion said. "I have had close decisions in other tournaments but I just take it on the chin."

The Italian said the decision was curious.

"I did everything I could. I don't understand the score," he said. "Where did they get all the points they gave him at the end?"

Team USA picked up another gold medal earlier, when Jacob Stephen Varner won the 96-kilogram freestyle wrestling contest.

"I came here to win a gold medal and that's what I've done," he said. "I played more defense then I wanted to, but it's awesome for the United States."

Uzbekistan's Artur Taymazov became first man to win three consecutive freestyle wrestling golds, defeating Davit Modzmanashvili of Georgia.

"I wanted to get the third gold," said Taymazov, who also won a silver at the Sydney Games in 2000. "There was also a time pressure, because I am 33. But it was my time."

At the 2000 Olympics, Greco-Roman wrestler Alexander Karelin won three straight golds and then a silver.

"I'm glad I have equaled his medal total," Taymazov said, "but he has won more world championships than I have won so I must do more over the next two seasons."

In men's water polo, Ratko Rudic guided Croatia to an 8-6 victory over Italy in the gold medal match, a record fourth win for the a coach. Rudic has led three nations -- Yugoslavia, Italy and his native Croatia -- to gold as well as winning a silver medal in 1980 as a player with Yugoslavia.

Laura Asadauskaite of Lithuania won the final gold medal of the London Games with an Olympic record score in the modern pentathlon.