Confident Nigeria’s bobsled team hits track at Winter Olympics

Faces USA, Canada, Korea, Russia, Great Britain, others

After a rather poor start by the Nigerian skeleton athlete, Simidele Adeagbo at the Pyeonchang 2018 Winter Olympics, the country’s two-woman Bobsled team, Seun Adigun and Akuoma Omeoga will hit the track today in search of a medal.

Adeagbo could not live up to expectations of the people in her event last weekend, placing last in 20th position. Today, the bobsled team will begin their chase for medals at the Sliding Center in PyeonChang, with Adigun leading the crusade as the driver, with Omeoga giving the needed support as brakeman. The bobsled team rounded up its scheduled three days of training on Sunday.

The Communications Director, Bobsled and Skeleton Federation of Nigeria, Chisom Mbonu-Ezeoke told The Guardian yesterday from South Korea that the team would begin action today at 20.50 local time and round up tomorrow at 20.40 local time.

The duo of Seun Adigun and Akuoma Omeoga will have their hands full, as they face stiff competitors from the Republic of Korea, Olympic Athlete from Russia (OAR), Canada, USA, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Belgium, Austria, Jamaica, Romania and Great Britain.

Mbonu-Ezeoke said yesterday that the girls were in high spirit waiting for action to begin today. “They are looking very confident after their training, and I am sure the bobsled team will put smile on faces of Nigerians back home. Don’t forget that this is our first time at the Winter Olympics. By virtue of their qualification for this year’s Olympics, all the four athletes are champions regardless of whatever positions they finish at the end of the day. They deserve commendation,” Mbonu-Ezeoke stated.

Like the skeleton event, where Adeagbo ran twice daily for two days, the bobsled team will compete today and tomorrow. The total of their races will be added together at the end of the event to determine their place on the medal table.

The Nigerian Bobsled team had dropped one spot from 19th to 20th in Sunday’s official Heats 3 and 4 in PyeongChang. Both Adigun and Omeoga finished with time of 52:96 and 53.60 seconds in Heat 3 and 4 respectively.