YINKA OYEBANJO-ODOFIN / NIGERIA
An engineer’s mind.
An athlete’s resolve.
Nigerian skeleton athlete. Engineer. Creator. An African athlete in the diaspora, representing Nigeria on the international ice.
Official IBSF athlete profile ↗
FROM LAGOS TO THE ICE
A long-held ambition.
A new sporting chapter.
Yinka Oyebanjo-Odofin grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, and moved to Canada as a teenager. Track and field took him to collegiate athletics at the University of Texas at El Paso in the United States. A career in construction engineering followed; the Olympic ambition stayed.
His high school coach, Joe Denes, introduced him to the possibility of sliding sports. In 2025, Yinka began competing in skeleton for Nigeria. His official IBSF profile lists both his active career and national-team involvement from 2025.
Representing Nigeria in skeleton
In skeleton, an athlete pushes a sled before sliding headfirst down an ice track. Yinka’s debut 2025/26 international season comprised eleven races at six venues: Whistler, PyeongChang, Innsbruck, Winterberg, St. Moritz–Celerina and Lake Placid.
He raced on the North American Cup, Asian Cup and Europe Cup circuits. His final listed race of the season was a tenth-place finish at Lake Placid on 27 March 2026. Explore the complete race journal and official result links.
An African winter-sport story
As a Black Nigerian skeleton athlete whose journey spans Nigeria, Canada and the United States, Yinka’s story is part of the African diaspora in sport. His self-funded first season took him across three continents while representing Nigeria.
His aim is to qualify for the 2030 Winter Olympics and help more African athletes see a place for themselves in winter sport.
Finding the Line
“Eyes fixed on Jesus,” inspired by Hebrews 12:1–2, anchors the purpose behind the journey. Preparation, discipline and the people supporting the season matter alongside the results.
Sporting record: IBSF athlete profile. Updated 18 October 2026.