1904 Olympic marathon participants Len Tau (left) and Jan Mashiani of South Africa.
Missouri History Museum
Jan Mashiani and Len Tau apparently found themselves in the US in 1904 as part of a world’s fair displaying ‘savages’.
El Hadji Amadou Dia Bâ (number 898) dips across the line to place second at the 1988 Olympics.
Russell Cheyne/Getty Images
For Olympic sports to thrive, the government must commit and find additional financing, notably through the private sector and sponsorship.
Ivorian taekwondo champion Cheick Sallah Junior Cisse takes a selfie with fans at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
Ed Jones/AFP
The International Olympic Committee has recognised that athletes use their social media accounts to build their personal brands.
The 1976 games were boycotted by African states because of New Zealand allowing a rugby tour of apartheid South Africa.
Nik Wheeler/Corbis/Getty Images
African states won new power when they demanded New Zealand withdraw because of their rugby tour of apartheid South Africa.
Faith Kipyegon won two gold medals at the 2023 World Athletics Championships.
Hannah Peters/Getty Images for World Athletics
With three world records to her name, Faith Kipyegon is competing for two gold medals at the World Athletics Championships.
Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong at the 2010 winter Olympics.
OLIVIER MORIN/AFP via Getty Images)
There’s very little snow in Africa but, even so, since 1984 at least one African nation has competed at each winter Olympics and African athletes have been trailblazers.
Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge receives his drink bottle on the way to gold in the men’s marathon of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Photo by Yasuyuki Kiriake-Pool/Getty Images
Kenya’s dominance in distance running has been repeatedly tested, most recently by the emergence of Ethiopia as a powerhouse.
GettyImages.
When will an African country host the Olympic Games?