Akuoma Omeoga and her Nigerian sled slip happily to last place

February 21, 2018 at 12:25AM
Driver Seun Adigun, right, and Akuoma Omeoga of Nigeria finish their second heat during the women's two-man bobsled competition at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Akuoma Omeoga, a St. Paul native who is brakeman for Nigeria, and driver Seun Adigun savored their Olympic experience Tuesday. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Nigeria was winning the Olympic women's bobsled race.

Yes, really.

The Nigerians were the second sled down the track in the opening heat Tuesday, and over the first few turns of the course they actually were going along faster than the Korean sled that had preceded them.

They were winning.

"I know!" pilot Seun Adigun shrieked afterward.

After that flirtation with the lead, Adigun and her brakeman, Akuoma Omeoga from St. Paul, and their sled commenced the inevitable free fall to last place.

They're calling it a success.

"When people talk about sports right now, they're talking about bobsled," Omeoga said of Nigeria.

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Germany's Mariama Jamanka and Lisa Buckwitz were the leaders at the midway point of the competition, and the U.S. sled of Elana Meyers Taylor and Lauren Gibbs stood second. Racing concludes Wednesday.

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