Ethiopian Olympic delegation that participated in the Paris 2024 Olympics was welcomed back with a reception and dinner at the National Palace.
The event, attended by President Sahle-Work Zewde, included a ceremony where cash prizes were awarded to athletes, coaches, and participants based on their contributions. The rewards ranged from 50,000 birr to 7 million birr.
At the ceremony, Tamrat Tola, who won Ethiopia’s only gold medal in the marathon, was awarded $68,000 or 7 million birr and a gold nishan medal.
Silver medalists Tigist Asefa, Berihu Aregawi, and Tsige Duguma each received $39,000 or 4 million birr.
However, during the event, Gemedo Dedefo, the coach of Tamrat Tola and Tigist Asefa, made headlines when he refused to accept his 2 million birr reward.
Upon receiving the microphone from the event organizers, Coach Gemedo expressed his dissatisfaction, saying, “Honorable President, we coaches have been around for a long time, and we have done great things for a long time; it is not worth our effort.”
Ethiopia’s performance at the 33rd Paris Olympics saw the country winning a total of four medals: one gold and three silver, placing 47th globally and 4th in Africa.
Tamrat Tola secured gold in the men’s marathon with a time of 2:06:26, setting a new Olympic record. Tsige Duguma won silver in the women’s 800m, Berihu Aregawi in the men’s 10,000m, and Tigist Asefa in the women’s marathon.
The 2024 Olympics also saw African athletes achieving unexpected victories. Botswana won its first Olympic gold medal in the men’s 200m, thanks to Letsile Tebogo, while Algeria claimed its first Olympic gold in artistic gymnastics with Kaylia Nemour.
Out of the 54 African countries participating in the 33rd Olympics, only 12 made it to the medal table.
Kenya led the continent with four gold, two silver, and five bronze medals, finishing 17th in the world.
Ethiopia, which has been participating in the Olympics since 1956, ranked 4th in Africa and 47th globally in the Paris Olympics, bringing its total Olympic medal count to 62.
The Paris Olympics, featuring over 10,000 athletes from 206 countries, concluded with the United States dominating the medal table.
United States secured 40 gold, 44 silver, and 42 bronze medals, matching China in golds but leading in the overall medal count.
This victory extends the U.S.’s dominance over the last seven Olympic Games, a streak of success that began with the inaugural modern Olympics in 1896.
Host nation France finished in fifth place, following Japan and Australia. A total of 91 countries earned medals across 32 sports at the Paris Olympics, showcasing the event’s global reach.
