Meet Ese Ukpeseraye: The Cyclist Making History as Nigeria’s First Olympic Representative

Credit: Lovina Ukpeseraye/Instagram

For the first time, Nigeria will compete in the cycling competition at the Olympics, thanks to Ese Lovina Ukpeseraye, the country’s leading female cyclist and national sports festival champion. Ese qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris by excelling in three separate Olympic cycling events, including one road race and two track cycling competitions.

Ese Ukpeseraye, a 25-year-old track cyclist from Delta State, has competed in numerous competitions, including the 2021 UCI Track Cycling World Championships and the 2021 Africa Track Cycling Championship, where she won multiple national titles. She secured her Olympic spot by earning 250 points at the 19th Confederation of African Cycling (CAC) Road Championships in Accra, Ghana, where she won the gold medal in the Elite Women’s Road Race.

The president of the Cycling Federation of Nigeria (CFN), Giandomenico Massari, highlighted that Nigeria’s qualification for these three events is a noteworthy accomplishment. He explained that the qualification process for Olympic events is highly competitive and rigorous, underscoring Ese’s significant achievement in securing spots in all three events.

“This is the first time Nigeria will be appearing in Olympic cycling competition,” Giandomenico said. He also expressed confidence in her ability to perform well and represent Nigeria with pride at the Paris Olympics, wishing her a successful and smooth competition.

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Ese at the opening ceremony