Chierika Ukogu’s dreams of winning an Olympic medal have ended after the US-based Nigerian came fifth in the quarter-finals of her event at the Rio 2016 Olympics on Tuesday.
Ukogu, Nigeria’s lone entrant in women’s rowing Singles Sculls, came so near the medal zone but only dropped to fifth in the final classification.
Only the top three competitors move on to the semi-finals A/B which are medal contention rounds.
With this, she moves to the semi-finals C/D where she will compete for the rankings amongst other three quarterfinals.
The 23-year-old had put her medical school on hold to represent Nigeria in Rio.
A graduate of Human Biology of Stafford University, USA, Ukogu took to Rowing in 2006 and did not hide her ambition of competing at the Olympic Games.
To achieve her dreams of making it to the Olympics, Ukaogu represented Nigeria several times through private sponsorship.
At the World Championships in France last year she placed 24th and proceeded to the Olympic trials in Tunis, Tunisia where she picked up the ticket to these games after placing third.
A fifth place finish for her is a big achievement considering her placing at last year’s World Championships.
