Gagbe Ifiezegbe, a new record holder in swimming at the ongoing 20th National Sports Festival in Edo, says she stand a chance for better performance at the Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, if given an opportunity.
Ifiezegbe told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Benin that she would ensure a qualification for the final of swimming event at the Olympics.
She said if she would be picked for the Olympic, she would give her best to it.
NAN reports that the swimmer had won four gold medals for Team Bayelsa at the sporting event, tagged Edo 2020, setting new records in two swimming categories.
Ifiezegbe beat Deborah Okpochini of Delta’s record of 2.20.28 minutes in the 200 meters freestyle women category with 2.17.05, in the game Okpochini also participated.
She also set a new record in the 100 metres freestyle women with 1.01.54 minutes breaking the long time record of 1.02.66 set by Okpilobo of Ondo at the NSF in Lagos, 2012.
The athlete capped the feat with gold medals in the 400 metres individual medley women and 1500 metres freestyle women.
She explained her desire to reclaim her lost glory informed her persistent training for the festival.
“Before, I was the champion though, but in 2018, she (Okpochini) beat me.
“She was winning the gold medals; I won 14 silvers in that competition, but I told myself because they used to call me golden girl.
“But when it got to Abuja, I won silvers all through and I said I need to come back to golden girl.
“So, I have to work for it. I had been training for this competition before they started shifting it.
“I have won four gold medals and for all the gold, I pieced the records,” she boasted.
The swimmer however regretted that she had been coming to the national sports festival since 2004 without making it to the Olympics. (NAN)