Nigerian skeleton racer Simidele Adeagbo has made history at the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) Women’s Monobob World Series. She became the first African to win an international bobsled race at Winterberg on Friday. The 40-year-old recorded a time of 2:01 to emerge the winner ahead of Romania’s Popescu Georgeta and Ukraine’s Hunko Lidiia.
Taking to Instagram, Adeagbo shared a video to celebrate her victory with caption:
“Before Friday, January 14th, 2022, no African athlete (male or female) had ever reached the top of the podium of an international bobsled or skeleton race. That all changed when I won the Europe Cup monobob race in Winterberg, Germany and became the FIRST Nigerian and African athlete to take home the gold in an @ibsfsliding race.
With personal best down and push start times, I raced for an unprecedented feat and earned a decisive victory. In a predominantly Eurocentric, male-dominated sport, some didn’t expect to see an African woman atop the podium. In fact, there wasn’t even a Nigerian flag and anthem on hand for the awards ceremony (luckily I had my own flag
). No matter how unexpected my victory may have been for some, it was a shining moment in which my dream became a reality.
This first is forever recorded in history. Achieved from the will and countless sacrifices, I’m paving a pathway to hope. May we continue to leap past the barriers, expect more than others think is possible, and dream more than others think is practical.
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