Simidele Adeagbo

Simidele Adeife Omonla Adeagbo, OLY[1] (born July 29, 1981 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada)[2] is a Nigerian skeleton racer who competed at the 2018 Winter Olympics. She is Nigeria and Africa’s first female skeleton athlete. She was the first black female Olympian in the sport. In 2022, she won the woman's mono bob event in the 2022 EuroCup, held in Germany. In so doing, she became the first athlete from Africa to win an international sled race.[3] Before competing in skeleton, Adeagbo competed in triple jump, last competing in 2008.

Simidele Adeagbo
OLY
Personal information
Birth nameSimidele Adeife Omonla Adeagbo
Nationality
Born (1981-07-29) July 29, 1981
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight65 kg (143 lb)
Sport
Country
Sport
  • Track & Field
  • Skeleton
Event(s)
  • Triple Jump
  • Skeleton
University teamUniversity of Kentucky
Coached byNick Vienneau
Achievements and titles
Regional finals2022 Woman's Monobob World Series; UK Scholar Athlete of the Year, 2003 Indoor Southeastern Triple Jump Champion
National finalsOlympic Trials Finalist 2004 & 2008 (Triple Jump), 4 Time NCAA all American in the Triple Jump and Academic All-American,
Olympic finals20th (Pyeongchang 2018)
Highest world ranking74
Personal best(s)Track and Field (Triple Jump) 13.99m (June 27 th , 2008)

Early life

Adeagbo was born in Toronto, in Ontario, Canada, to Nigerian parents. She moved to Ibadan, Nigeria when she was an infant, and lived there for six years before moving to the United States.[4]

Career

Adeagbo served as a Nike body double for Serena Williams.[5] Adeagbo is a marketing manager for Nike in South Africa since 2012.[2]

On August 18, 2018, Adeagbo spoke alongside other noteworthy speakers, to a sold-out audience during the TEDxLagos spotlight event at the Muson Centre.[6] She shared the stage with legal practitioner Supo Shasore, Award-winning technologist Ade Olufeko, Art curator Tokini Peterside and media personality Banky W. amongst others.[7]

Sports career

Adeagbo started Track and Field competition in highschool. She retired from Track and Field competition in June 2008. At that time, she failed to qualify for the Olympics by 8-inches. She had become a 4-time NCAA All-American, and was the triple jump record holder for the University of Kentucky.[2]

Adeagbo became interested in skeleton in December 2016, when she heard about the Nigeria bobsled team attempting to qualify for the Olympics. She first tried to qualify for that team at tryouts in July 2017, where she had to try in a skeleton sled instead of a bobsled. She started skeleton in September 2017. She became sponsored by her employer, Nike, for skeleton.[2][5]

Adeagbo competed at her first Olympics at the 2018 Winter Olympics in skeleton, as part of the Nigerian team, becoming the first Nigerian to compete at the Winter Olympics. She was the Nigerian flagbearer at the 2018 Winter Olympics closing ceremony.[8]

Personal bests

Track and field

[9]

EventResultVenueDate
Outdoor
100 meters12.05 (wind: +1.7)Baton Rouge, Louisiana13 May 2000
100 meters11.96 (wind: +3.1)Coral Gables, Florida17 Mar 2001
Long jump6.20 m A (wind: +0.9 m/s)Eugene, Oregon19 Jun 2004
Long jump6.36 m A (wind: +4.9 m/s)Austin, Texas06 Apr 2001
Triple jump13.99 m A (wind: +2.0 m/s)Eugene, OR27 Jun 2008
Indoor
60 meters7.59Lexington13 Jan 2001
Long jump6.25 mNampa, Idaho28 Jan 2005
Triple jump13.40 mSeattle28 Jan 2006

Skeleton

[5]

References
  1. Olympians: Olympians for Life – website of the WOA
  2. "Sleigh, Simidele Adeagbo, Sleigh". Nike. 9 January 2018.
  3. "Nigeria's Adeabgo becomes first African to win international sled race". ESPN.com. 2022-01-17. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  4. "Nigerian bobsledder aims for Africa's first Winter Games medal". BBC Sport. 13 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  5. "Simidele ADEAGBO". IBSF Athletes. International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation.
  6. "Olasupo Sasore, Bankole Wellington, Simi Adeagbo, others deliver inspiring talks at event co-sponsored by Union Bank". Pulse. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  7. Ukiwe, Urenna (16 August 2018). "TEDXLagos Exciting "Spotlight" Set To Hold". The Guardian (Nigeria). Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  8. Steve Dede (26 February 2018). "Nigeria's bobsled and Skeleton women were looking glam at closing ceremony". Pulse Nigeria.
  9. "SIMIDELE ADEAGBO". IAAF Athletes. International Association of Athletics Federations.
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