Lesotho at the 2024 Summer Olympics

Lesotho at the
2024 Summer Olympics
Flag of Lesotho
IOC codeLES
NOCLesotho National Olympic Committee
in Paris, France
26 July 2024 (2024-07-26) – 11 August 2024 (2024-08-11)
Competitors3 (1 man and 2 women) in 2 sports
Flag bearer Tebello Ramakongoana & Michelle Tau
Medals
Gold
0
Silver
0
Bronze
0
Total
0
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)

Lesotho competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris from 26 July to 11 August 2024. It was the nation's thirteenth appearance at the Summer Olympics since its debut in 1972. The delegation consisted of three athletes competing in two sports. Lesotho did not win any medals during the Paris Olympics. Tebello Ramakongoana and Michelle Tau served as the team's flagbearers in the 2024 opening ceremony, while Ramakongoana and Mokulubete Blandina Makatisi served for the closing ceremony.

Background

The Paris Olympics were their thirteenth appearance in Olympic competition, they have participated in every Summer Olympic Games since the 1972 Summer Olympics except the 1976 Montreal Games.[1] The 1972 Summer Olympics were held from 26 July to 11 August 2024; a total of 10,714 athletes representing 206 National Olympic Committees took part in the Games.[2] Before the Games each athlete was given 50,000 maloti as payment and funding for their participation, Michelle Tau's mother was also paid a sum of 30,000 maloti.[3][4]

Flagbearers

Tebello Ramakongoana and Tau were chosen as the flag-bearers for the opening ceremony.[5] Whereas Ramakongoana and Mokulubete Blandina Makatisi served for the closing ceremony.[6]

Competitors

Lesotho sent three athletes to Paris.[7]

Sport Men Women Total
Athletics 1 1 2
Taekwondo 0 1 1
Total 1 2 3

Athletics

Main articles: Athletics at the 2024 Summer Olympics and Athletics at the 2024 Summer Olympics – Qualification

Lesotho was represented by one male and one female athlete at the 2024 Summer Olympics in athletics: Ramakongoana and Makatisi in the men's and women's marathons, respectively.[8] Ramakongoana qualified via running a 2:09:57 seconds marathon at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest on 25 February 2024, which was enough to place him in the top five.[9] On 10 August,[10] he ran a 2:07:58 marathon setting a Basotho national record, beating his own,[11][12] and getting 7th place.[13] He was in 60th place at the 5th km mark and 70th at the 10th. He then sped up and he got to third place by the 15th. At roughly the 21km mark he was in 14th. This was the best performance of any Olympian from the nation. He was competing on an injured hamstring.[14]

Makatisi received a universality selection to participate at the 2024 Summer Olympics, being one of three representatives of her country.[15] Her selection sparked controversy as the Lesotho National Olympic Committee approved her as the selection, but the Federation of Athletics Lesotho (FAL) believed Neheng Khatala was more qualified and abruptly sent Makatisi a letter stating that her Olympic appearance had been canceled.[15][16] However, ultimately, Makatisi was selected to compete, being approved by World Athletics (WA).[15][16][17] At the Olympics, she placed 31st in the women's marathon with a time of 2:30:20.[18][19] This race was her personal best performance.[20] Her placement changed between 54th and 57th from 5th and 15th km marks. Although, she pulled ahead to 38th at the halfway point. At the 40km mark, she was in 27th place.[14]

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
Track and road events
Athlete Event Final
Result Rank
Tebello Ramakongoana Men's marathon 2:07:58 NR 7
Mokulubete Blandina Makatisi Women's marathon 2:30:20 PB 31

Taekwondo

Main articles: Taekwondo at the 2024 Summer Olympics and Taekwondo at the 2024 Summer Olympics – Qualification

Lesotho was represented by one female athlete at the 2024 Summer Olympics in taekwondo: Tau in the women's −49 kg event.[8] She qualified via the 2024 African Taekwondo Olympic Qualification Tournament in Dakar, Senegal.[8] On 7 August, she competed in the Round of 16 against 19 year old Mobina Nematzadeh who was 3 kilograms (6.6 lb) heavier than her.[21] She lost 0–3 in the first match and 0–2 in the second, being eliminated from the competition.[22]

Athlete Event Round of 16 Quarterfinals Semifinals Repechage Final / BM
Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Rank
Michelle Tau Women's −49 kg  Nematzadeh (IRI)
L 0–3, 0–2 		Did not advance

Aftermath

The three Olympians returned to Lesotho on 13 August, being welcomed by Motlatsi Maqelepo, the Minister of Sports, at Moshoeshoe I International Airport.[14] On a tour around Africa, President of the International Olympic Committee, visited Lesotho and its Olympians for two days, praising their "outstanding performance". This visit lasted from the 22 to the 23 October 2024.[23][24]

References

  1. ^ "Lesotho". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  2. ^ "Paris 2024 Summer Olympics". Olympics.com. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  3. ^ Post, The (15 July 2024). "Windfall for Olympics trio". The Post. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  4. ^ Newsday (15 July 2024). "Olympics trio rewarded". Newsdayonline. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  5. ^ Pick, Oscar (26 July 2024). "Every Olympic flagbearer for Paris 2024 opening ceremony as Tom Daley and LeBron James take stage". The Independent. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  6. ^ Braidwood, Jamie (11 August 2024). "Every Olympic flagbearer for Paris 2024 closing ceremony including Alex Yee and Katie Ledecky". The Independent. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  7. ^ "Lesotho at the 1972 Munchen Summer Games". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  8. ^ a b c Race, Retta (12 July 2024). "Initial Olympic Swimming Entries Published for 2024 Paris Games". www.swimswam.com. SwimSwam. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  9. ^ Times, Lesotho (13 September 2023). "Ramakongoana books ticket to Paris Olympics". Lesotho Times. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  10. ^ "Tola wins brutal Paris marathon; Kipchoge DNF". ESPN.com. 10 August 2024. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  11. ^ "RAMAKONGOANA SMASHES NATIONAL RECORD IN MARATHON". lena.gov. 28 February 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  12. ^ "Men's Marathon - Results" (PDF). olympics.com. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  13. ^ "Paris 2024 - Athletics Men's Marathon Results". Olympics.com. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  14. ^ a b c Post, The (19 August 2024). "Big welcome for Olympics trio". The Post. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  15. ^ a b c Majoro, Nthako (10 June 2024). "Row over two elite athletes". Public Eye News.
  16. ^ a b Majore, Nthako (26 June 2024). "FAL takes bold step". Public Eye News.
  17. ^ "Mokulubete Blandina Makatisi". Olympics.com.
  18. ^ "Mokulubete Blandina Makatisi". World Athletics.
  19. ^ "Lesotho marathoners achieve personal bests in Paris". Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  20. ^ "Mokulubete Blandina MAKATISI | Profile | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Archived from the original on 22 January 2025. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  21. ^ "Why Tau lost in Paris". Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  22. ^ Sarabzadeh, Mostafa (8 August 2024). "Second Olympic Medal in History of Iranian Women Sport by an Iranian Taekwondo Practitioner". WomenSportPress. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  23. ^ Saldaña, Juan José (27 October 2024). "Thomas Bach continues to reinforce olympic values". sportsin.biz. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  24. ^ "IOC boss visits Lesotho". The Post. 24 October 2024. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
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