Nigeria’s women Bobsleigh team will make history in Pyeongchang as the first African sled team to compete at the Winter Olympics.
Nigeria will be represented for the first time at the Winter Olympics by Seun Adigun, Ngozi Onwumere, and Akuoma Omeoga having hit the qualifying standard in November, but need to maintain its world ranking until 14th January.
In order to qualify for the Games, teams need to be ranked within the top 40 in the world. Nigeria is 40th, according to the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation.
Simidele Adeagbo will also fly Nigeria’s flag in the women’s skeleton.
All three bobsledders were once track and field athletes before switching to winter sports, with Adigun competing in the 100m hurdles at the London 2012 Olympics.
Adigun will pilot the Nigerian sled in South Korea, with either Onwumere or Omeoga to be selected as brake woman.
“One of the things that you aspire to is to have a podium spot with respect for the process and respect for the learning curve of what it is that we’re actually doing,” said Adigun.
Adeagbo, 36, only took up Skeleton four months ago but will compete in Pyeongchang after finishing third in her two races at the North American Cup in Lake Placid, New York.
Ghana will also be represented for the first time in Skeleton after Akwasi Frimpong was confirmed Ghana’s first Olympic Skeleton athlete.
Frimpong, who will turn 32 during the Games, was born in Ghana before moving to the Netherlands at eight.
Following his achievements as a young athlete – winning the Dutch 200m junior title in 2003, Frimpong switched to winter sports after missing out on the London Olympics through injury.
Frimpong was first introduced to bobsleigh, narrowly missing the cut for the Dutch team for Sochi 2014, before changing to Skeleton.
Sliders were required to be in the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) world top 60 to qualify for Pyeongchang which Frimpong achieved with 14th and 15th place finishes in Lake Placid.
“I’m ready to represent Ghana for the first time in history in the Skeleton event at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games,” he said.
Africa was first represented at the Winter Olympics at Sarajevo 1984 by Senegalese alpine skier Lamine Gueye. At Sochi 2014, Togo and Zimbabwe were the only Nations from the continent to send athletes to the Winter Olympics.
