Team Nigeria finishes as Africa’s best

Having left for the 2016 Paralympics without any fanfare and on the heels of another disappointing Olympic Games show, the physically-challenged athletes of Nigeria lifted spirits high in Rio where they won 12 medals to finish as Africa’s best at the Games.

Eight  gold,  two silver and two bronze medals was a remarkable achievement from Nigeria’s Paralympians as it certainly gave them their best ever placement on the medals table, finishing 17th on the log.

Six Nigerian athletes broke the World Records (WR) in their events, in some instances they did it twice or thrice while still competing to win Gold.

Finishing 21st on the medlals table, Tunisia became Africa’s second best team with seven gold, six silver and six bronze while South Africa also earned seven gold, six silver and four bronze medals.

Hosts Brazil finished an impressive eighth with 14 gold, 29 silver and 29 bronze and China, topped the medals table with 107 golds, 81 silver and 51 bronze making a total of 239 medals, Great Britain finished second with 147 medal, 64 gold, 39 silver and 44 bronze, Ukraine came third with a total of 117 medals, USA (115), Australia (81), Germany (57), the Netherlands (62), Italy (39), Poland (39) in that order completed the top 10 on the medals table.

Spain’s Elena Congost The women's T12 race, for athletes with visual impairments, was won by Spain's Elena Congost,  a  silver medalist at London 2012 clinched her first gold medal in her career.  Significantly, it was the last gold to be won in the women’s events at the Games.