The Tokyo 2020 Olympics are already on with sports like Softball and Football already underway. On Wednesday afternoon, we witnessed the Zambia women football team thrashed 10-3 by the Netherlands with Barbra Banda scoring a hattrick for the Copper Queens. The men start their campaign with Egypt taking on Spain on Thursday.
The African story however lies in the track and field events. This is the only place the continent flexes its muscles.
Several African runners have dominated the global scene and most will be centers of attraction in Tokyo.
As the Olympic Games begin in Tokyo on 23 July, we take a look at some of the African athletes to watch out for during the tournament.
The 36-year-old is the world champion defending Olympic champion in the distance.
The Kenyan athletics star also holds the world record in marathon with a time of 2:01:39 set on 16 September 2018 at the Berlin marathon.
Blessing Okagbare currently holds the personal best time of 10:75 seconds in the 100m.
The 32-year-old Nigerian was a former footballer but switched to sprints and long jump in which she has excelled
This will be her fourth Olympics after participating in Beijing 2008(long jump), London 2012 and Rio 2016.
Ese Brume is one of three African women jumpers to exceed 7m mark.
The Nigerian athlete's first appearance at the Olympics was at Rio 2016 where she finished 5th. She landed a bronze medal at the 2019 World Athletics Championships.
Ese jumped the season best with 7.17m on 29 May 2021 in California, US
The Commonwealth champion has a chance to prove why he is Africa’s best in the 100m.
Having finished 4th at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Simbine will be aiming for that elusive Olympic medal.
This year, he ran the second best time of the season in 9.84 seconds and is one of only three men to run under 9.85 this season, along with American Trayvon Bromell (9.77) and Swiss Alex Wilson (9.84).
The 9.84 seconds time set in Hungary on 6 July 2021 is the African record.
The Ugandan is the current 5000m and 10000m record holder.
The world champion will be hoping to succeed in the two distances with ease especially with the absence of British star Mo Farah.
Cheptegei won gold in the 10,000m at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha and set a new world record during the 5,000m at the Monaco 2020 Diamond League.
The Algerian middle distance runner Olympics debut at the London 2012 Olympics winning a gold medal at the 1,500m and two silver medals at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
He will only compete in 1500m in the Tokyo Games hoping for yet another podium finish.
The Botswana athlete is silver medalist at the 800m at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
In run to the Olympics, Amos posted the fastest 800mvtime this season - 1:42.91 - on 9 July 2021 in Monaco.
Tokyo 2020 will be his 3rd Olympics after London and Rio.
Hugues Fabrice is a Burkinabé triple jumper who won a bronze medal at the 2019 World Athletics Championships.
He holds the indoor world record (18.07m in France on 16 January 2021) and currently has the second-best outdoor jump (17.82m - an African record which he did on 6 July 2021 in Hungary).
The Ivorian Ivorian sprinter will participate in the 100m and 200m in Tokyo.
She was a bronze medalist for the 100m at the 2019 World Athletics Championships and came 4th at the Rio 2016 Olympics in both 100m and 200m events.
. Letesenbet Gidey
The Ethiopian marathon runner and world-record holder. She holds the 5,000m world record and recently broke the 10,000m record.
She won silver in the women's 10,000m at the 2019 World Athletics Championships.
. Brigid Kosgey
Brigid Kosgei is a Kenyan marathon runner who won in Chicago in 2018 and 2019 and in London in 2019 and 2020.
Kosgei is a world record holder, with a time of 2:14:04 achieved at the 2019 Chicago Marathon. She makes her Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games.