Athletics in Cameroon and the country's Olympic medals
Cameroon has won six Olympic medals in sixty years of competing, and two of its three titles belong to a single athlete: Françoise Mbango Etone, twice Olympic triple jump champion. Long without a successor, Cameroonian athletics found a new face in 2026 in sprinter Emmanuel Eseme. This page lists all the country's Olympic medals across every sport, then turns to athletics: leading figures, national records, competitions hosted and the federation.
Information checked on
At a glance
- Olympic medals
- 6: 3 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze
- First Olympic appearance
- 1964 (Tokyo)
- Only multiple medallist
- Françoise Mbango Etone (gold 2004 and 2008)
- Federation
- Cameroon Athletics Federation; president Emmanuel Moutomby Mbome (re-elected 2022)
All of Cameroon's Olympic medals
| Games | Medal | Athlete or team | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico City 1968 | Silver | Joseph Bessala | Boxing, welterweight |
| Los Angeles 1984 | Bronze | Martin Ndongo-Ebanga | Boxing, lightweight (60 kg) |
| Sydney 2000 | Gold | Men's football team | Football, men's tournament |
| Athens 2004 | Gold | Françoise Mbango Etone | Athletics, triple jump (15.30 m) |
| Beijing 2008 | Gold | Françoise Mbango Etone | Athletics, triple jump (15.39 m) |
| London 2012 | Bronze (reallocated) | Madias Nzesso | Weightlifting, 75 kg |
Cameroon has competed at the Summer Games since 1964; at Montreal in 1976 it withdrew after three days to join the African boycott. Its first medal was boxer Joseph Bessala's silver in 1968, beaten in the final by East Germany's Manfred Wolke. The first title went to the footballers, who beat Spain in the final in Sydney on 30 September 2000. The most recent medal dates from London 2012: weightlifter Madias Nzesso, sixth in her event, was awarded bronze after the three original medallists were disqualified for doping. The country won nothing in Rio, Tokyo or Paris. It has also competed once at the Winter Games, in 2002.
Françoise Mbango Etone, twice Olympic champion
Born on 14 April 1976 in Yaoundé, Françoise Mbango Etone is the only Cameroonian to have won more than one Olympic medal. She won the triple jump in Athens in 2004 with 15.30 m, then retained her title in Beijing in 2008 with 15.39 m, an Olympic record and still the Cameroonian record. Before that she had given the country its only two World Championship medals in athletics: triple jump silver in Edmonton in 2001 (Cameroon's first outdoor world championship medal) and in Paris in 2003.
| Year | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Commonwealth Games, Kuala Lumpur | Silver, triple jump |
| 1999 | All-Africa Games, Johannesburg | Gold, triple jump |
| 2001 | World Championships, Edmonton | Silver, triple jump |
| 2002 | African Championships, Radès | Gold, long jump and triple jump |
| 2002 | Commonwealth Games, Manchester | Silver, triple jump |
| 2003 | World Championships, Paris | Silver, triple jump |
| 2004 | Olympic Games, Athens | Gold, triple jump (15.30 m) |
| 2008 | Olympic Games, Beijing | Gold, triple jump (15.39 m) |
| 2008 | African Championships, Addis Ababa | Gold, triple jump |
Other leading names
- Emmanuel Eseme (born in Yaoundé in 1993), sprinter: African 100 m champion in Accra in 2026 and Commonwealth 100 m champion in Glasgow on 28 July 2026 in 9.83, a Games record and a Cameroonian record. Already the 2023 African Games winner, he was Cameroon's flag bearer at Paris 2024.
- Hugo Mamba-Schlick, triple jumper: silver at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi with 17.14 m, the national record, and twice African runner-up (2008, 2010).
- Auriol Dongmo (born in Ngaoundéré in 1990), shot putter: for Cameroon, twice African Games champion (2011, 2015) and twice African champion (2014, 2016). After switching to Portugal (effective 2020), she became world indoor champion in 2022.
Cameroonian records
| Event | Mark | Athlete | Date and venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's 100 m | 9.83 | Emmanuel Eseme | 28 July 2026, Glasgow |
| Men's 200 m | 20.23 | Emmanuel Eseme | 7 July 2025, Sotteville-lès-Rouen |
| Men's marathon | 2:15:43 | Justilin Foimi | 27 October 2019, Douala |
| Men's long jump | 8.03 m | Marcel Mayack | 2 March 2019, Bafoussam |
| Men's triple jump | 17.14 m | Hugo Mamba-Schlick | 12 October 2010, New Delhi |
| Women's 100 m | 10.98 | Myriam Léonie Mani | 11 June 2001, Athens |
| Women's 200 m | 22.41 | Myriam Léonie Mani | 21 May 2000, Kourou |
| Women's 400 m | 50.69 | Mireille Nguimgo | 13 August 2000, La Chaux-de-Fonds |
| Women's triple jump | 15.39 m | Françoise Mbango Etone | 17 August 2008, Beijing |
| Women's shot put | 18.37 m | Auriol Dongmo | 3 June 2017, São Bernardo do Campo |
The men's marathon record was set in Douala; we could not find a detailed source on the race itself. The country's best-known endurance race remains the Race of Hope on the slopes of Mount Cameroon, which has its own page.
The 2024 African Championships in Douala
From 21 to 26 June 2024, the Japoma sports complex in Douala hosted the African Athletics Championships: 618 athletes from 50 countries. Cameroon finished 17th in the medal table with 3 silver and 3 bronze medals but no title: Emmanuel Eseme (100 m silver, 200 m bronze), Adèle Mafogang (heptathlon silver), Anne-Suzanna Fosther-Katta and Véronique Kossenda Rey (triple jump silver and bronze) and Linda Angounou (400 m hurdles bronze).
The federation
In December 2022 Emmanuel Moutomby Mbome was re-elected president of the Cameroon Athletics Federation with 91 votes out of 126 (72.22%), ahead of Léonie Paulette Etong (33 votes) and Ange Sama (2 votes). We found no record of a more recent election.
Frequently asked questions
How many Olympic medals has Cameroon won?
Six: three gold (football in 2000, Françoise Mbango in the triple jump in 2004 and 2008), one silver (Joseph Bessala, boxing, 1968) and two bronze (Martin Ndongo-Ebanga, boxing, 1984; Madias Nzesso, weightlifting, 2012).
Who was Cameroon's first Olympic athletics champion?
Françoise Mbango Etone, Olympic triple jump champion in Athens in 2004 (15.30 m) and again in Beijing in 2008 (15.39 m).
What was Cameroon's first Olympic medal?
Boxer Joseph Bessala's welterweight silver at the 1968 Mexico City Games. The first title was the football team's in Sydney in 2000.
What is Cameroon's 100 m record?
9.83, set by Emmanuel Eseme on 28 July 2026 in the Commonwealth Games final in Glasgow. The women's record is 10.98, by Myriam Léonie Mani in 2001.
Did Cameroon win a medal at Paris 2024?
No. Cameroon's most recent Olympic medal is weightlifter Madias Nzesso's bronze, reallocated after London 2012.
Has Cameroon ever won a medal at the World Athletics Championships?
Yes, two, both triple jump silvers by Françoise Mbango, in Edmonton in 2001 and in Paris in 2003.
Handle with care
The records list comes from a Wikipedia compilation, not a federation document, as the federation publishes none online to our knowledge; some older marks were hand-timed. The women's long jump record credited to Françoise Mbango (6.55 m in 1999) is lower than the mark with which she won the 2002 African title (6.68 m) according to Wikipedia, so it is not shown. Madias Nzesso is also recorded under the name Madias Ngake. Françoise Mbango's current sporting status was not checked.