Nigerian freestyle wrestler Odunayo Adekuoroye is keeping a low profile as she prepares for the Paris Olympics, hoping to move past the disappointment of the Tokyo Games three years ago.
Despite being a top athlete with multiple championships, Adekuoroye has avoided interviews and public appearances.
In Tokyo, she was a strong favorite and ranked No. 1, but lost unexpectedly in the quarterfinals after leading 8-0.
This shock defeat has been hard to overcome, as the Nigerian team was confident of a win and had already started planning for the final.
Now, Adekuoroye is focusing on the Paris Games, learning from her past experience.
She is ranked No. 2 in the world and is working to avoid letting past mistakes affect her performance.
Her role as an assistant coach at Muhlenberg College is also seen as a positive step, although it brings its own challenges.
Her coach, Daniel Igali, believes that despite the challenges, Adekuoroye remains Nigeria’s best chance for a medal in Paris.
Spender told ESPN: “Being able to have a world-class competitor in our room is invaluable to our development program and her experience will have a lifelong impact on the women who wrestle for us. I look forward to cheering her on in Paris.”
Igali says having some coaching chops will help her even though it can be a double-edged sword: “When you are a coach, and you combine those two roles, it gives you a better perspective.
“On the other side, as an athlete-coach, you lose a certain level of competitive edge. That is why we insisted that she come home for six weeks before the Olympics to focus on training. We were able to work on a lot of things when she came and I think the overall experience has made her even better.
“She is still our best chance because she is ranked number 2 going into the Olympics.”
