Nigeria’s Simidele Adeagbo won the latest round of the Women’s Monobob World Series in Winterberg, Germany as calls to restore African continental quota spots in bobsleigh and skeleton for Beijing 2022 continued.
Adeagbo recorded the fastest time on both runs – with a time of 1min 00.49sec on the first run and 1:00.51 on run two, to give her victory in 2:01.00.
Romania’s Georgeta Popescu finished second in 2:01.52, while the podium was completed by Lidiia Hunko of Ukraine in 2:02.53.
The five-strong field was completed by Julia Slupecka of Poland, who finished fourth in 2:02.76, with Camila Copain of France in fifth in 2:04.73.
Adeagbo’s victory comes on the same day as Zach Lund and Brian McDonald, the coaches of Ghanaian skeleton athlete Akwasi Frimpong, wrote letters to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation President Ivo Ferriani calling for the urgent reinstatement of the African continental qualification spots in the bobsleigh and skeleton disciplines at Beijing 2022.
The latest letters are a last-ditch attempt to get the IOC to reverse its position on the issue, as earlier this week the IOC replied to an initial letter from the coaches to say no changes would be made to the qualification process for skeleton and bobsleigh events.
Adeagbo and Frimpong both benefited from the continental qualification system for Pyeongchang 2018 as they became the first African athletes to compete in the skeleton events at the Winter Olympic Games, with Adeagbo finishing in 20th place in the women’s skeleton.
Adeagbo’s previous best finish in the Women’s Monobob World Series this season was seventh in the two other rounds held this calendar year in Innsbruck.
The Women’s Monobob World Series is due to continue with another round tomorrow in St Moritz, Switzerland.
