Samuel Ikpefan is Nigeria’s First Skier to Qualify for the Olympics

Samuel Ikpefan is Nigeria’s First Skier to Qualify for the Olympics

Samuel Uduigowme Ikpefan, now recognized as the first Nigerian skier to qualify for the Olympics, is also the first male athlete to make the Winter Games.

Thanks to Samuel Ikpefan, Nigeria will be represented at the forthcoming Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. As part of his preparations for the competition, Ikpefan competed in a FIS race in Bessans on the 10^th of  December.

The 29-year-old previously made history by becoming the first Nigerian skier to attend the World Cross Country Ski Championships in Germany and the World Cup in Sweden. 

Born in Annemasse, in the French Alps, Samuel started his journey in 2018 by first obtaining a Nigerian passport which helped him build a stronger connection with the country. He later went to Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, to convince the Nigerian Skiing Federation of his abilities and to pave the way for Nigerian skiers abroad who wish to represent the country at international competitions.

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The athlete will make his Winter Olympic debut as the country’s first-ever Winter Olympic cross-country skier in the coming 2022 Games in China.

Ikpefan now hopes that his journey can inspire a new generation of skiers from Nigeria as he works hard to set the pace for others.

Beijing 2022, is an upcoming international winter multi-sport event scheduled to take place from 4 to 20 February 2022 in Beijing and venues near neighbouring towns of Yanqing and Chongli in the People’s Republic of China.