Sixteen-year-old Nigerian swimmer Adaku Nwandu, competing in her first Olympic Games, has vowed to return stronger after her debut at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Nwandu, who turns 17 on September 29, participated in the women’s 50-metre freestyle event held at the La Defense Arena on Saturday.
In Heat 6 of the event, Nwandu finished second with a time of 26.62 seconds.
However, her performance was not sufficient to advance to the semi-finals, placing her 34th out of 79 swimmers across the competition’s 10 heats.
“It is disappointing not to be able to move to the next round, where I can advance to be among those who will win medals,” Nwandu said.
Despite the setback, she expressed optimism about her future. “All I can say is that I will be back and better. I will not give up, and I will strive to be better than before and be among the world’s best,” she added.
Nwandu’s time fell just 0.36 seconds short of the qualification mark for the next round. The top spot in her heat was claimed by Elizaveta Pecherskikh with a time of 26.26 seconds.
Sports Minister John Enoh praised Nwandu’s effort, expressing confidence in her potential for future success.
“I have confidence in her potential for future achievements,” Enoh stated.
Nwandu’s Olympic journey concludes with her current performance, and she joins her teammate Tobi Sijuade, who also did not advance in the Men’s 50m Freestyle.
Nigeria’s Olympic campaign has faced further challenges with early exits from table tennis, football, boxing, and badminton events.
