"I don't think I'll ever represent Nigeria again - Athlete

A Nigerian Athlete, Mariam Usman who represented Nigeria in weightlifting has said she might not represent the country anymore.

She competed in the +75 category, amassed 265 kg and finished 8th in her group. She spoke to reporters in Brazil.

“It is painful to come to the Olympics and see people who are your contemporaries perform better than you; not because you lack the ability but because you were not prepared like them,” she said,

“For me, it is not just about jumping unto the plane every four years to go to the Olympics. Every athlete you see here wants to step on the podium. If you can’t aim to climb up there, you have no business coming to the Olympics. I can only consider going to another Olympics if things change for the better. But if the status quo is maintained, I don’t think I will go to another Olympics again.”

She was appalled by the lack of preparation for the Olympics while other Olympians from other countries were preparing for 3-4 years.

“Olympic gold medal doesn’t come cheap. It is painful that one has to suffer and when competition comes they expect you to win a medal with your blood.

“The people you have to compete with had everything they needed: training grants, competitions and are exposed to the most modern equipment. I had nothing. You don’t expect such people who have invested so much to lose to one who don’t even train adequately.”