By John Egbokhan

After coming top in the African qualifiers for the Olympic Games holding this summer, British-born Nigerian canoe king, Jonathan Johnny Akinyemi has primed his gaze at winning a  gold at the  London Games.

Speaking on his qualification, Akinyemi, born in England to a Nigerian father and a British mother, and who had previously competed for Team Great Britain, said he did not expect the result that saw him beat to second place, Beijing 2008 bronze medalist, Benjamin Boukpeti of Kenya at the Men Kayak 1 trials in Bethlehem, South Africa.

“I wouldn’t have said that I expected this result,. rather I had hoped for this result. I have been training extremely hard since the 2011 World Champs, which were a real disappointment for me. I knew that my preparation for the African Champs couldn’t have been any better. I had done training camps on the London Olympic course, and also managed to do two training camps in Bethlehem before the race.

“Also I had been working hard in the gym because I know that strength was a real area where Benjamin has a clear advantage over me. So I suppose I expected to race well at the event due to the training I had done in the previous 6 months”, Akinyemi said last night in an interview with Sports Scene.

On what he thought made the difference in the final race with Boukpeti, Akinyemi who was raised in Warrington, said that his quest to deliver  top quality performance propelled him to victory.

“During my training in the lead up to the race I had been focusing on delivering a top quality performance on my final runs, because I knew that the African Champs would ultimately come down to the one run. So, in my mind I was mentally prepared to put down the run of my life in the Finals. This resulted in my fastest run of the weekend being my final run. Whereas Benjamin didn’t find the sweet line down the bottom drop in the Final which in turn led to his penalty and ultimately cost him the race”.

Asked to explain the importance of his qualification to Nigeria and its over 160 million citizens, Akinyemi, said that his qualification means so much for his fatherland.

“Qualifying for the Olympics means so much for Nigeria. Nigerians love sport and they seem fascinated by canoe slalom because it is a sport which most Nigerians have never come across before. So the qualification will hopefully massively increase the exposure canoeing gets in the most populous country in Africa.

“Also it is fantastic for the Nigerian Canoeing Federation and the NOC. They have given me so much support over the years and now it seems to have paid off. I know that the Nigerian Canoeing Federation have big plans for the development of canoeing in Nigeria so they will be able to use this to place the spot light on this emerging sport”, added Akinyemi.

On his target at the Games, Akinyemi said that getting a gold medal was his top priority.
“It still feels unreal that I will be competing at the Olympic Games.  It is so overwhelming to actually achieve something that you have dreamed of for 12years.

It makes all those days worthwhile when you wake up in the UK on a freezing cold day at 7am and go paddling even though every part of you would just rather stay in bed! But I know that the hard work has just begun and I must train harder than ever in the build up to the Olympics. I hope for a gold medal, which is not of my reach, if I continue working hard”, Akinyemi said.