Nigeria skeleton racer, Simidele Adeagbo, reached another milestone in the sports during the weekend, marking the country’s debut at the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation World Cup in St. Moritz, Switzerland, with two top 25 finishes in the women’s monobob, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The 43-year-old competed in two monobob races on Friday and Saturday, ending both in 23rd place.
Although she didn’t make the podium, the Nigerian was more proud about marking the country’s debut at the event.
“Africa’s sleigh Queen is leaving St. Moritz with two top 25 World Cup finishes,” Adeagbo wrote via X on Sunday.
“Grateful for the growth with each race. This weekend marked Nigeria’s debut on the World Cup stage and it’s an honour to represent my country and continue pushing things forward in the sport.”
USA’s bobsleigh pilot and Olympic silver medallist Elana Taylor won both races in the women’s monobob.
In the overall standings for the IBSF World Cup 2024/25, Lisa Buckwitz (GER, 1253 points) continues to lead ahead of Laura Nolte (GER, 1171) and Australia’s Breeana Walker (1146), who finished eighth in St. Moritz, ahead of the two final races in Lillehammer, Norway in February.
Adeagbo, a former triple jumper has been blazing the trail for Nigeria since becoming active in 2017.
In 2018, she finished 20th at the Winter Olympics in South Korea as she became Nigeria and Africa’s first female skeleton athlete.
Also, in 2022, Adeagbo became the first African athlete to win an international sledge race after she clinched the women’s mono bob event at the EuroCup.
Last year, she also became the first African athlete to compete in bobsleigh at the IBSF World Championships in the 100-year history of the sport.
The 42-year-old skeleton racer broke the record at the 2024 BMW IBSF World Championship in Winterburg, Germany, where she finished top 20 in her World Championships debut.
By doing so, she also inked Nigeria’s name in history books as the first African nation to be represented in bobsleigh at a World Championships.
