Africa grabbed a total of 40 medals in these Olympic Games. This is 5 more medals than in Sydney and Athens!
13 African countries reached the Olympic podium. It was the first ever Olympic medal for Mauritius, Sudan, Tunisia and Togo.

With 28 Olympic medals, Africa relied on its track and field athletes more than in all last Olympic Games. Ethiopia and Kenya shined as expected in the long and mid-distance races taking 19 medals. Bekele and Dibaba impressed the world getting Olympic long-distance double (5000m and 10000m)
Moreover, Africa reserved some good surprises in the jump contests (1gold medal in the triple jump, 2 silver and bronze ones in the long jump contests).

Apart from to athletics, judo offered three historic medals to our continent (2 Algeria, 1 Egypt).

Swimming did good results especially thanks to the Zimbabwean Kisty Conventry who was the African queen of the Beijing Watercube. She won 4 medals including the gold one in the 200m backstrocke. If the South African swimmers didn't take a medal as expected, the Tunisian Oussama Mellouli won the gold medal in the men's 1,500-meter freestyle winning ahead the Australian Grant Hackett, twice Olympic champion.

At the opposite, boxing was a disappointment : only one medal! This discipline traditionally brings Africa several medals (3 ones in Athens). However, the "Mauritian Magician" Bruno Julie will remain in all the memories taking the bronze medal with an impressive tenacity in this Olympic tournament.

Wrestling didn't reserve good surprises as most of the African wreslters lost their first fights.

Concerning sports events as handball, basketball and volleyball, the results were very bad : no African team win a qualiication match either in women's than in men's tournaments...

And as for every Olympiad, we had pleasant surprises such as the bronze medals won by the kayaker from Togo Benjamin Boukpéti and the taekwondo fighter from Nigeria Yagazie Chika Chukwumerije who defeated the World Champion, Modibo Daba Keita.
These sports events have practiced for only few years in Africa and it's an encouraging thing for the next Olympic Games.