Nigeria's bobsled team has become the first from the country to qualify for the Winter Olympics. The event will be held in PyeongChang, South Korea, in February 2018. The team comprises three women -- Seun Adigun, Akuoma Omeoga, Ngozi Onwumere.
Bobsled or bobsleigh is a winter sport. Teams make timed runs through narrow, twisting iced tracks in a gravity-powered sled.
Adigun, the team’s driver, and Omeoga and Onwumere, the brakewomen, qualified for the Olympic games after turning in strong performances in a series of five races held in Utah, Whistler and Calgary
“We have goals,” said Adigun. “I know the goal I have as a driver is to drive us to the podium, that’s just the competitor in me. A lot of our goals have been met just establishing this entire entity, starting this process and making our way to the games. Obviously, the bigger goal is to just be as competitive as we can and obviously shoot for the podium,” she said.
The women announced their qualification in a post on Instagram. “Ecstatic to say the least! To see a mere dream come to reality is a true blessing,” they wrote.
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Adigun has already competed at the Olympic level. In 2012, she ran the 100 metre hurdles at the Summer Olympics.
"Their hard work was inspiring and I hope Nigerians can appreciate what it took for them to achieve this," said BSFN president Solomon Ogba.
The women tried hard to push themselves into the Olympics. Their time was spent between training and raising the money it would require to qualify. They say this is something they wanted to do for their country. And they don't just want to compete, the three women want to bring back a medal
This is just the beginning of their journey. Lets hope many more accolades come their way.
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