Olalekan Soetan, an athletics coach and former member of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) Technical Committee, has expressed optimism about the performance of Nigerian athletes at the Paris Olympics, despite the absence of medals.

Soetan emphasized that, while the athletes did not secure podium finishes, many reached the finals in their respective events, which he considers a positive outcome.

He noted that the athletes performed well individually, falling just short of winning medals by slim margins.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel Ojeli, Ezekiel Nathaniel, Dubem Amen and Chidi Okezie of Team Nigeria react after competing in the Men’s 4 x 400m Relay of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

“As far as I’m concerned in athletics, I think overall we had very good results,” Soetan stated.

“People will be surprised when I use the word ‘very good results,’ because we got what we bargained for. And you fail to plan, more or less you are planning to fail, and nobody plans to fail, it’s just that you don’t do the needful and you get the results you deserve.”

Soetan stressed the importance of better preparations for future competitions, urging against the common practice of only a few weeks of camping before major events.

He suggested that with more comprehensive planning and preparation, Nigerian athletes could achieve even greater success on the global stage.