Right after Jonathan (Johny) Akinyemi from Nigeria qualified for London 2012 in Bethlehem, South Africa last weekend, Sportscene got an exclusive interview with Johny the day he got back home in Warrington, Great Britain.  

Your qualification for London 2012 was the talk of the town at the Penrith Whitewater Stadium in Australia. Did you expect this result?
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.

Boukpeti is strong yet you consider yourself a more technical slalom athlete. What do you think made the difference in the Finals? Was it the 2 second penalty Boukpeti got, or something else?
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.

 
For those who don't know the course and didn't see your final race, can you talk us through it (some key moments and points)?
The course in Bethlehem is a really nice course. There are 3 main features on the river; at the top of the course there is nice wave with large eddies on either side. The middle of the course consists of a wavy section that leads into the bottom drop. The bottom drop was a tricky drop which required a flat boat and the right boat angle. The race course itself was not too demanding and changed very little between the heats and the Finals. There was a nice double up on the top wave followed by a nice off set section through the waves and finally ended with an up right, up left combo for about 20 metres from the bottom drop. The bottom drop was where the race was won or lost. I went all out in the Final and gave it everything. I found a sweet line down the bottom drop and shot into the up right however, came a little low into the final up left. In contrast Benjamin seemed to find it difficult to get a consistent line down the bottom drop. On two of the four runs he did during the race he struggled on the drop, and one of those runs was his final run.

You consider God as an important factor in your life. Can you tell us a little bit more about that in relation to an important race like last weekend? Do you pray for example before a race? Is there 'time' for God during a race, or after the race?
God is really at the centre of everything I do. The race in Bethlehem was really an example of God at work. I’m so thankful for all the people who I know were praying for me during that weekend, not only at my home church but people throughout Nigeria and the UK. During the race I felt a real sense of peace and inner strength. On race day I always find time for praying and reading the bible, I almost see it as part of my mental preparation. After the race I took a step back from all the excitement and celebrations to thank God for the blessing I had received. My Church is gathering this Sunday and we are going to have the biggest party to celebrate!

How do you feel now being at home in the UK again, looking back to your qualification in Bethlehem?
Now that I am back in the UK I think the enormity of what I have achieved is starting to sink in. I’ve not really stopped smiling since the race and during the night I keep waking up with a massive smile on my face because I am going to the Olympics! Looking back I realise that it is a massive thing that I have achieved and I need to use this as a platform to develop canoeing in Nigeria. I hope I can inspire young Nigerians to start canoeing so that one day they will out perform me and put Nigeria on the map when it comes to canoe slalom. Looking back I can also see that Benjamin is a true sportsman and a real gentleman. After the race you could see that he was gutted but he still found time to congratulate me and shake my hand. I give him my full respect for doing that. Benjamin is a phenomenal athlete and a real credit to African Canoeing.

What do you think your qualification means to Nigeria and the people?
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.

What are the coming months going to look like for you?
All I know is that the coming months look very busy for me. This week I will be sitting down and finalising my programme up til the Olympics. My main focus will be to get as much water time on the Olympic course as possible.

Looking forward to the Games, how does it feel to know that you will be part of the Games as an athlete?
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.

For all results visit the ICF website.