SportsNigeria’s Bobsleigh Women Make History

Nigeria’s Bobsleigh Women Make History

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SAN FRANCISCO, February 21, (THEWILL) – Nigeria’s women bobsleigh team finished with the wooden spoon on Wednesday but left with their heads held high after an emotional Olympic debut in the crackpot winter pursuit becoming the first Africans to participate in the event.

The plucky West Africans finished 20th in Pyeongchang, North Korea, more than seven seconds behind gold medallists Germany in a sport where success and failure is measured in hundredths of a second, followed by the United States and Canada.

But try telling that to Nigerian driver Seun Adigun and partner Ngozi Onwumere after a landmark appearance, cheered on by their families and a vocal pocket of Nigerian fans.

“It’s quite amazing, I’m overwhelmed with joy and overwhelmed with the idea of knowing that history was made and we gave everything we had to do it,” said Adigun, after bumping off several walls in a ragged final run.

“This was just one of those days that you can’t really describe,” she added. “Full of all kinds of emotions — full of relief, full of history.”

No African nation has won a winter medal but the Nigeria women plan to try again at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

“By God’s grace you will see Nigeria in Beijing,” said the Texas-based Adigun, after failing to improve on Tuesday’s personal best.

“We did everything we could. People are super-stoked back in Nigeria. We just pray all of our resilience does foster into some future athletes.”

AFP reports that Onwumere, who was a late replacement after Akuoma Omeoga fell ill overnight, added: “I can only express myself with tears, just because it’s been a long road and finally we’ve completed it. I can only imagine how it is back home in Nigeria.”

The ladies have become a source of inspiration to many and their inspirational journey has touched many sports fans, predictably drawing comparisons to the 1993 film Cool Runnings, which told the story of Jamaica’s first-ever bobsleigh team.

The Nigerian team was founded less than two years ago by US-born Adigun, who represented Nigeria in 100m hurdles at the 2012 London Games.

After watching the 2014 Sochi Winter Games, “I kind of had Olympic fever again,” Adigun told CBC. “I knew quite a few track and field athletes who had transitioned into the winter sports, so I figured, ‘You know, I think I could try this’.”

After learning how to drive a bobsled, Adigun recruited fellow Nigerian-Americans Onwumere and Omeoga – both also former sprinters – as brakemen for Nigeria’s first-ever bobsleigh team.

Only Adigun, who previously trained with the US bobsleigh squad, has raced on ice before, and until recently the team trained on a wooden sled which Adigun built herself.

A crowdfunding campaign raised $75,000 (£54,000) to help the team buy an Olympic-level machine in time for the PyeongChang Games.

The bobsleigh team make up three-quarters of Nigeria’s first ever Winter Olympics delegation.

The fourth and final member, Simidele Adeagbo, raced in the skeleton event on Friday and Saturday.

Although she finished last in both heats, Adeabgo – who only took up the skeleton last year – was only milliseconds behind her nearest rivals.

The 36-year-old, who is based in South Africa, said that she had been overwhelmed by the support she had received in PyeongChang.

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