Greetings!
The Paris 2024 Olympics is gradually coming to an end, and I'm sure most people have been thoroughly entertained by all the sports, especially cycling, which I missed out on watching due to lack of opportunity. During the last Olympics, I was fortunate enough to watch and enjoy the cycling events, which at times made me feel as though the athletes were performing magic. The way they navigated the curvy tracks, appearing as if they might fall but never did, was truly impressive.
However, what actually prompted me to write this was something heartbreaking that I recently heard. Even as I type this, I feel deeply saddened. Can you believe that the only qualified cyclist from Africa to compete in the sprint was not provided with a bicycle? Yes, you read that correctly—Africa’s only qualified athlete, and she didn’t have a bike. That’s just not fair.
I learned about this because the athlete in question is Nigerian. On the day of the race, she had to borrow a bike to compete. After the event, she posted on her X (formerly Twitter) page, thanking a German team who noticed that she didn't have a bicycle and lent her one so she could race. I love how she phrased it in her post: "the spirit of sportsmanship."
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I can only imagine how it all played out when the German team member handed her a bicycle without her even asking for it. Although her post wasn’t very detailed, I can envision her confusion and desperation as she scrambled to find a solution before the race began. Then, in a moment of kindness, the German team stepped in and saved the day. That’s so heartwarming.
Unfortunately, she didn’t qualify for the final; she finished sixth in the race. However, the fact that she didn’t miss the race and was helped at the last minute brought her some joy. Just imagine waiting for four years to participate in the biggest sporting event in the world, only to arrive and face disqualification because your country’s sport federation didn’t provide you with a bicycle. Had she known, she might have brought her own bike from Nigeria.
As for the sport federation in Nigeria, this is a huge embarrassment. I can’t fathom how something like this was allowed to happen. They obviously planned for the event with a significant budget, so I can’t understand why this was permitted to occur. This sends a terrible message to the world, implying that cycling is not valued in the nation or the continent at large. It's so bad!
Imagine how the cyclist must have felt after the event. She likely felt unsupported, which could demotivate her and potentially discourage her from participating in the next Olympics. It could even affect her personal training and reduce her chances of qualifying for the next tournament. She was there representing a nation, an entire continent, and look how badly it turned out.
I hope we learn our lessons from this.
Thanks for reading.