Nigerian women’s bobsled team qualifies for winter Olympics

In a real-life ‘Cool Runnings’ scenario, Nigeria’s women’s bobsled team will be the first ever representatives of their nation in the Winter Olympics.

Seun Adigun, Ngozi Onwumere and Akuoma Omeoga completed the five required qualifying races on Wednesday, making them the first ever African team to qualify in bobsledding, ESPN reports.

The team’s driver Adigun, a former 100m hurdles champion, said the achievement was a “huge milestone for sports in Nigeria”.

“Nothing makes me prouder than to know that I can play a small role in creating opportunities for winter sports to take place in Nigeria.”

President of the Bobsled and Skeleton Federation of Nigeria, Solomon Ogba, commended the women’s hard work.

“I hope Nigerians can appreciate what it took for them to achieve this - the work, the discipline, and the personal sacrifices,” Mr Ogba said.

“They were amazing throughout this journey.”

The 2018 Winter Olympics will be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea.