Key Takeaways:
– French police report Beninese track and field athlete Odile Ahouanwanou has been missing for a week.
– Ahouanwanou was last seen dropping off her son on September 10 in Normandy and hasn’t returned.
– She was a former elite soccer player who later finished eighth in the heptathlon at the 2019 World Athletics Championships.
French authorities are calling for public assistance in locating a missing athlete from Benin, Odile Ahouanwanou. The 33-year-old track and field star was last seen on September 10 and has not made contact since.
Odile’s Last Known Location
French police announced in a social media post that Ahouanwanou was last sighted in Normandy, northern France. She had dropped off her child at a carer’s home and has not returned to collect her son, fueling increasing concerns about her safety. Authorities revealed she was travelling in a Volkswagen Polo. With the clock ticking, the authorities are intensifying the search for the athlete amid growing apprehensions over her safety.
Tracing Odile’s Athletic Journey
Ahouanwanou had achieved international acclaim with her athletic prowess. She secured an eighth-place finish in the heptathlon category at the 2019 World Athletics Championships held in Doha, Qatar—an accomplishment that placed her among the world’s top talents in the event.
Before embracing athletics, Ahouanwanou had shown incredible talent in the soccer field as well. She was formerly an elite soccer player, representing the national team of Benin as a young woman.
“I was also doing athletics in primary and secondary school,” Ahouanwanou disclosed in a BBC Sport Africa interview in 2022. Despite her untapped potential in athletics, Ahouanwanou confessed that her heart was initially set on soccer. Her perception shifted after clinching the national champion title in the high jump event in 2007 for Benin.
Unsettling Precedent in Athlete Protection
On a gravely related note, the disappearance of Ahouanwanou arises just weeks after the brutal killing of Ugandan distance runner Rebecca Cheptegei. Cheptegei died tragically at the hands of her ex-boyfriend—caught up in flames in a horrifying assault in Kenya. Her attacker later succumbed to his injuries.
Widening Circle of Concern
As the search for Ahouanwanou continues, global attention is focusing on the safety of athletes, particularly women. French authorities appeal to the public to share any information that could assist in the search, On a wider scale, the distressing incident underlines the urgent need to enhance security measures for athletes, especially in light of the shocking violence against Cheptegei.
Authorities are urging anybody with knowledge about Ahouanwanou’s whereabouts to come forward. The national police described her disappearance as “worrying,” as the sports world prays for her safe return.