Tag: Shani Davis

Africa at the South Korea Winter Olympics 2018

On By Dr. Y.In Great Moments3 Comments

Pyeongchang 2018We have evolved since the days of the 2010 Vancouver and 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. The African and Black presences at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics has more than quadrupled: 8 African countries are represented at these Olympics with a total of 13 athletes; Nigeria is featuring its First Bobsleigh Team ever, and it is all female! We also note that the Togolese athletes Alessia Afi Dipol, and  Mathilde Amivi Petit Jean have come back from 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics to compete at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympics; we applaud their endurance. I guess some of our brothers and sisters have lived in Northern countries, and enjoy these winter sports to the point of competing in them. We raise our hats to them. Below are the African athletes to watch for, and cheer for this year.

Africa
Africa

Eritrea : Shannon Adeba – Alpine skiing

Ghana : Akwasi Frimpong – Skeleton

Kenya : Sabrina Simader – Alpine skiing

Madagascar : Mialitiana Clerc – Alpine skiing

Morocco : Adam Lamhamedi – Alpine skiing

                   Samir Azzimani – Cross-country skiing

Nigeria : Akuoma Omeoga – Bobsleigh

                Moriam Seun Adigun – Bobsleigh

                Ngozi Onwumere – Bobsleigh

                Simidele Adeagbo – Skeleton

South Africa: Connor Wilson – Alpine skiing

Togo : Alessia Afi Dipol – Alpine skiing

           Mathilde-Amivi Petit Jean – Cross-country skiing

There are more brothers and sisters of African descent competing at these Olympics as well: 7 from the United States (with the multiple champion Shani Davis who has been a joy to watch in speed skating since the 2006 Turin Olympics), 4 from France (including 2 in figure skating), 3 from Brazil (all in bobsleigh),  5 from Canada (all in bobsleigh), 3 from Jamaica (with Jamaica first female bobsleigh team ever) and 5 from Great Britain (all in bobsleigh). I may have missed some, and if you see one I did not account for, let me know. We raise our hats to those athletes proudly representing their nations, and cheer them to victory!

Black Presence at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics

On By Dr. Y.In Great Moments1 Comment
Sochi 2014
Sochi 2014
Flag of Togo
Flag of Togo

Yes, I know… you are probably going to say what? Africans? Blacks at the Winter Olympics? Given that most of us, Africans, grew up without any snow, how could we possibly compete at the Winter olympics?  Well, I wanted to have you give a shout out to some of our sisters from Togo at Sochi 2014 : Alessia Afi Dipol competing in alpine skiiing (born and raised in Italy, check out Alessia’s website to learn more), and Mathilde Amivi Petit Jean competing in cross country skiing (she represented France at the Junior level, before switching to compete for Togo in 2013).  Mathilde said “If I was told I would one day compete at the Olympic Games, I would never have believed it would be in the colours of Togo.” Representing another African country is Luke Steyn from Zimbabwe in Alpine skiing.  Sadly, this year, there will be no snow leopard from Ghana: Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong to cheer us.

Flag of Zimbabwe
Flag of Zimbabwe

Other athletes of African ancestry from the Carribbeans to watch will be Bermuda  Tucker Murphy in cross-country skiing, and Jamaica‘s Wayne Blackwood, Marvin Dixon, and Winston Watts in Bobsleigh.

Shani Davis
Shani Davis

Now, the big one to look out for will be American super star (or at least mine) Shani Davis who wowed us in Turin 2006, and Vancouver 2010.  I have been waiting for him for the past 4 years, and really look forward to seeing him speed skate to gold in Sochi making him the first male speed skater to win gold at three (3) consecutive winter olympics.

The American women’s bobsleigh team features six athletes and five of them are African-American.  For the first time in women’s bobsled history, the teams will feature black women in the front, piloting. Watch out for Elana Meyers, Jazmine Fenlator, Aja Evans, Lauryn Williams with the biggest olympic pedigree of the 5, and of course the ever famous Lolo Jones.

Robin Szolkowy & Aliona Savchenko
Robin Szolkowy & Aliona Savchenko

Another athlete to watch out for will be Robin Szolkowy of Germany, whose father is from Tanzania and mother from Germany.  Szolkowy is a German pair skater, who skated with partner Aliona Savchenko to win the Bronze medal at the Vancouver Olympics in 2010.  Canadian Bobsleigh Lascelles Brown will also be present this year.  Sister Nkeiruka Ezekh, is a Russian Federation curling athlete which has participated at all olympics since Salt Lake 2002.  Just raise your hat to all these brothers and sisters proudly representing the continent, and other countries.  There are probably more athletes of African ancestry at Sochi 2014, and if you find any… just share with me as well.

Black presence at the Winter Olympics

On By Dr. Y.In Great Moments1 Comment

Yes… I know… many people say Blacks don’t like the cold! maybe we don’t like the cold, but we still have our indomitable competitive spirit in the cold. This week, I have decided to talk about the few Blacks who have  been representing the indomitable strength of our race at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. 

Shani Davis
Shani Davis

What best way than to start with Shani Davis, an olympian from Chicago, IL. Shani Davis is a proud member of the American speed skating team, and competes in both long and short track speed skating. At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Davis became the first Black athlete to ever win an individual gold medal at the winter games. This year in Vancouver, Davis became the first man to ever win back-to-back gold medal in the 1000 m speed skating event. He also won the silver medal in the 1500m event. His story is truly exceptional, and tells of hard work in a sport where very few Blacks have ever competed. 

Robin Szolkowy & Aliona Savchenko
Robin Szolkowy & Aliona Savchenko

Vancouver also allowed us to meet Robin Szolkowy of Germany, whose father is from Tanzania and mother from Germany. Szolkowy is a German pair skater, who skated with partner Aliona Savchenko to win the Bronze medal at the Olympics this year. 

Two members of the British Bobsleigh team are Henry Nwume and Lascelles Brown. A proud member of the female bobsleigh Canadian team is Shelley-Ann Brown; One of our brothers, Jarome Iginla, is also part of the Canadian ice-hockey team, which will probably take gold this year. Sister Nkeiruka Ezekh is a Russian Federation curling athlete. 

Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong
Nkrumah-Acheampong

Our hats are raised to Ethiopian cross-country skier Robel Teklemariam, Ghanaian Alpine skier Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong also known as the “snow leopard”, Jamaican freestyle skier Errol Kerr, Senegalese alpine skier Leyti Seck, and Algerian cross-country skier Meidhi-Selim Khelifi who have proudly represented the continent, and our entire race this year by participating for the first time at the Winter olympics. 

To find out more about Black presence at the Winter olympics, feel free to read this really good article published by The Root  and entitled Soul on ice. This article shows pictures of brothers and sisters, pioneers at the Winter Olympics, such as Debi Thomas, Surya Bonaly, Vonetta Flowers, Randy Jones, Garrett Hines, and few others.