Nigeria: Akinyemi is first Nigerian athlete to arrive Rio

Nigerian canoeist, Jonathan Akinyemi, has arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ahead of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games which begins on August 5.


Akinyemi, who will represent Nigeria‎ at the Games for the second successive time in the canoe/slalom kayak event arrived Brazil on Tuesday, ahead of the rest members of Team Nigeria. He was received at the Games Village by officials of Team Nigeria.

”He immediately got down to work and has not slowed down since he hit Rio”, an excited official of Nigeria Olympic Committee said yesterday.

Born in England, Akinyemi is the first Nigerian to compete in the canoeing event of the Olympic Games.

He qualified as Nigeria’s only canoeist to Rio 2016 in the men’s K-1 class by obtaining a top finish at the 2015 African Canoe Slalom Championships in Sagana, Kenya which makes him a medal prospect.