Niger at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Niger competedwith six athletes in five sports at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, held from 27 July to 12 August 2012. This was the nation's eleventh appearance at the Olympics, having competed at every Summer Olympics since 1964 with the exception of the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, and the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow because of the African and the United States boycotts.

Niger at the 2012 Summer Olympics
IOC code	NIG
NOC	Nigerien Olympic and National Sports Committee
in London
Competitors	6 in 5 sports
Flag bearer	Moustapha Hima
Medals	Gold 0 Silver 0 Bronze 0 Total 0
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)
1964 1968 1972 1976–1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020

Nigerien Olympic and National Sports Committee (French: Comité Olympique et Sportif National du Niger, COSNI) sent the nation's largest delegation to the Games since 1988. A total of 6 athletes, 4 men and 2 women, competing in 5 different sports.[1] Hamadou Djibo Issaka, became the first Nigerien rower to compete at the Olympics, was the oldest member of the team, at age 35;[2] while freestyle swimmer Nafissatou Moussa Adamou was the youngest at age 14. Welterweight boxer Moustapha Hima, on the other hand, was appointed by COSNI to be the nation's flag bearer at the opening ceremony.[3][4]

Niger, however, failed to win a single Olympic medal in London, since its last time at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.

Press reaction

On 28 July, the British press received single sculls rower Hamadou Djibo Issaka a wave of attention, as he finished farther behind his competitors. Having taken up rowing at an intensive training camp three months before, the press compared him with Eric "the Eel" Moussambani, a swimmer from Equatorial Guinea at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney; thus, Issaka was featured in numerous headlines where the press called him, "Issaka the Otter", "Hamadou The Keel," and the "Sculling Sloth".[5][6]

Nigerien newspaper Le Sahel congratulated Issaka, stating that "he managed to seduce lovers of rowing, and to honor the national colors."[7] The paper also noted that despite its reputation as a desert nation, rowing could flourish in their country, where the Niger river runs for 550 km through the nation.[7]

Following the performance of two athletes, boxer Moustapha Hima and judoka Zakari Gourouza, the Nigerien press declared them "encouraging results",[3] noting that Hima acquitted himself well and expects to return to the 2016 Olympics, and Zakari Gourouza was the first Nigerien combat athlete to progress beyond his first round opponent since medal winning boxer Issaka Dabore in 1972.[3]

Political delegation

Kounou Hassane, Niger's minister of youth, sport, and culture, and Mahamadou Doula Talata, government director of sport, and COSNI chairman, attended the Olympic Games in London.[8] On 31 July, while speaking at an Iftar dinner for Nigerien athletes at the London Olympic Village, the minister congratulated the three athletes who had already competed. "The results you obtained are after all, honorable. You have valiantly defended the colors of our country, and I commend you for your courage and boldness.", according to the minister who addressed his statement to the athletes.[8]

Athletics

Main article: Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Track runners Rabiou Guero Gao,[9][10] and Nafissa Souleymane[11] were selected to the team by wild card entries.[12]

Key

• Note–Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only
• Q = Qualified for the next round
• q = Qualified for the next round as a fastest loser or, in field events, by position without achieving the qualifying target
• NR = National record
• N/A = Round not applicable for the event
• Bye = Athlete not required to compete in round

Men

Athlete	Event	Heat		Semifinal		Final
		Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank
Rabiou Guero Gao	1500 m	4:05.46	15	Did not advance

Women

Athlete	Event	Heat		Quarterfinal		Semifinal		Final
		Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank
Nafissa Souleymane	100 m	12.81	6	Did not advance

Boxing

Main article: Boxing at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Moustapha Hima qualified for Niger in the men's welterweight division.[13]

Men

Athlete	Event	Round of 32	Round of 16	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Final
		Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Rank
Moustapha Hima	Welterweight	Hammond (AUS) L 6–13	Did not advance

Judo

Main article: Judo at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Niger has qualified one judoka.[14]

Athlete	Event	Round of 64	Round of 32	Round of 16	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Repechage	Final / BM
		Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Rank
Zakari Gourouza	Men's −60 kg	Godoy (HON) W 0100–0000	Galstyan (RUS) L 0000–0101	Did not advance

Rowing

Main article: Rowing at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Niger has received one wild card in this sport. Hamadou Djibo Issaka, formerly a swimmer, became the first single sculls rower to represent his nation at the Olympics.[15]

Men

Athlete	Event	Heats		Repechage		Quarterfinals		Semifinals		Final
		Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank
Hamadou Djibo Issaka	Single sculls	8:25.56	5 R	8:39.66	4 SE/F	Bye		9:07.99	4 FF	8:53.88	33

[16]

Qualification Legend: FA=Final A (medal); FB=Final B (non-medal); FC=Final C (non-medal); FD=Final D (non-medal); FE=Final E (non-medal); FF=Final F (non-medal); SA/B=Semifinals A/B; SC/D=Semifinals C/D; SE/F=Semifinals E/F; QF=Quarterfinals; R=Repechage

Swimming

Main article: Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Niger selected one swimmer by a wild card entry from FINA.[17]

Women

Athlete	Event	Heat		Semifinal		Final
		Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank
Nafissatou Moussa Adamou	50 m freestyle	37.29	70	Did not advance

References

1. Olympics, Niger. Sports Reference / USA TODAY Sports Media Group. Consulted 31 July 2012
2. Niger rower crawls home to roaring Olympic crowd Archived 31 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Steve Douglas, AP . Sunday, 29 July 2012
3. Jeux Olympiques de Londres 2012 : qualifee pour les 2nd tour, le judoka Gourouza Zakari est elimine. Oumarou Moussa, Le Sahel (Niamey). 30 July 2012.
4. Niger Archived 1 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Official site of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, consulted 31 July 2012.
5. Issaka The Otter: Novice from Niger is new Eddie The Eagle after super-slow sculls Steve Anglesey, The Mirror (London). 29 July 2012.
6. 'Sculling Sloth' back on water at London Olympics. AP 31 July 2012.
7. Jeux Olympiques de Londres 2012 : Hamadou Djibo Issaka Fait Preuve d'Abnegation et se Qualifie Pour la Finale en Sport d'Aviron. Oumarou Moussa, Le Sahel (Niamey). 1 August 2012.
8. Jeux Olympiques de Londres 2012 : Le Ministre Kounou Hassane Rend Visite aux Athletes Nigeriens au Village Olympique de Stratfort. Oumarou Moussa, Le Sahel (Niamey). 1 August 2012.
9. Rabiou Guero Gao Biography. IAAF. Retrieved on 2015-11-06.
10. Rabiou Guero Gao Archived 22 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Official site of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, consulted 31 July 2012.
11. Souleymane Nafissa Biography. IAAF. Retrieved on 2015-11-06.
12. Nafissa Souleymane Archived 22 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Official site of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, consulted 31 July 2012.
13. Moustapha Abdoulaye Hima Archived 1 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Official site of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, consulted 31 July 2012.
14. "Judo Qualification" (PDF). IJF. 9 May 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 June 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
15. Hamadou Djibo Issaka BBC Sport Olympics.
16. "Rowing". Official site of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 1 August 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
17. "FINA Universality Places" (PDF). FINA. 6 July 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2012.