Seun Ogunkoya
Encyclopedia
Seun Ogunkoya is a Nigeria
n sprinter
and two-time African Championships
gold medalist over 100 metres
.
and is a cousin of Falilat Ogunkoya
. He improved his personal bests from 10.43 seconds in 1995 to 10.15 seconds in April 1996 in Makurdi
, at the 10th National Sports Festival, to 9.97 seconds in July 1997 in Formia
. He thereby became the youngest sprinter to have broken the 10-second barrier
at 19 years, 197 days, a record that has since been tied by Yohan Blake
. Ogunkoya stated that "it is natural to be aiming at the world record". His coach was Tony Osheku.
He competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics
, where he was eliminated in quarter final in the 200 metres
, before winning a silver medal in the 100 metres at the 1996 World Junior Championships
the next month. In 1997 he reached the quarter-final at the 1997 World Championships
. In the relay at the 1997 World Championships, four others participated on the Nigerian team, and ended up taking the silver medal.
Ogunkoya won the 100 metres race at the 1996 African Championships
and became Nigerian champion in 1996 and 1997. In 1998 he won the Weltklasse Zürich
meet with 9.96 seconds, a new personal best, before winning the 1998 African Championships
in another personal best, and championship record, of 9.94 seconds. In September he finished fourth at the IAAF Grand Prix Final
before winning the silver medal at the 1998 World Cup. Here he improved his personal best time to 9.92 seconds, which was also his lifetime best, as well as a Nigerian record
. He also won a bronze medal in the 4 x 100 metres relay
, with the African team.
He also set personal bests of 20.50 seconds in the 200 metres
, achieved in July 1997 in Nice
, and 6.52 seconds in the 60 metres
, achieved in February 1998 in Budapest
.
. In the same year he was named for the Olympic squad, but fell through with an eighth and last place in his 100 metres heat. He moved to Prague
where he recorded a 10.72 second race in June 2003.
Commenting on how Ogunkoya's career had plummeted, an elder in Ondo State
stated that "he was not doing anything to pick up his track career. He was just walking the streets of Akure, not knowing what to do". Fellow sprinter Enefiok Udo-Obong
commented that Ogunkoya struggled with the loss of his mother, who was also his manager.
Ogunkoya reportedly attempted a comeback in 2004, with a new training base in Kenya
. It did not materialize to anything, but he tried to return again in 2007. He trained with Tobias Igwe in Umuahia
. He competed in the 2007 Track and Field Championship in Nigeria, but failed to progress from round one.
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n sprinter
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
and two-time African Championships
African Championships in Athletics
The African Championships in Athletics is a continental athletics event organized by the Confederation of African Athletics. It is generally organised biennually, every other event is held same year as the Summer Olympics....
gold medalist over 100 metres
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
.
Career peak
He was born in AkureAkure
Akure is a city in the southwestern region of Nigeria, and is the largest city and capital of Ondo State. The city has a population of approximately 387,087...
and is a cousin of Falilat Ogunkoya
Falilat Ogunkoya
Falilat Ogunkoya is a Nigerian athlete.Ogunkoya has won a number of national championships, including a gold medal in 1996 in the 400 metres, gold in the 200 metres and 400 m in 1998, and gold again in 1999 and 2001 in the 400 m. At the 1987 All Africa Games in Kenya she won the silver medal in...
. He improved his personal bests from 10.43 seconds in 1995 to 10.15 seconds in April 1996 in Makurdi
Makurdi
Makurdi is the capital of Benue State in Nigeria. The city is located in central Nigeria along the Benue river bank and was the base for the Nigerian Air Force's MiG 21 and SEPECAT Jaguar aircraft squadrons...
, at the 10th National Sports Festival, to 9.97 seconds in July 1997 in Formia
Formia
Formia is a city and comune in the province of Latina, on the Mediterranean coast of Lazio . It is located halfway between Rome and Naples, and lies on the Roman-era Appian Way.-History:...
. He thereby became the youngest sprinter to have broken the 10-second barrier
10-second barrier
The 10-second barrier is a term used in track and field athletics which refers to the physical and psychological barrier of completing the men's 100 metres sprint in under ten seconds...
at 19 years, 197 days, a record that has since been tied by Yohan Blake
Yohan Blake
Yohan Blake is a Jamaican sprinter and the current 100 metre World Champion. He holds the national junior record for the 100 metres, and tied Seun Ogunkoya as the youngest sprinter to have broken the 10-second barrier...
. Ogunkoya stated that "it is natural to be aiming at the world record". His coach was Tony Osheku.
He competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
, where he was eliminated in quarter final in the 200 metres
Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metres
These are the official results of the men's 200 metres event at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. There were a total number of 81 participating athletes , with two rounds , two semifinals and a final.-Medalists:-Records:These were the standing world and Olympic records prior to the...
, before winning a silver medal in the 100 metres at the 1996 World Junior Championships
1996 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 1996 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 1996 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Sydney, Australia.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:-External links:* at GBRathletics.com...
the next month. In 1997 he reached the quarter-final at the 1997 World Championships
1997 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 100 metres
These are the results of the Men's 100 metres event at the 1997 World Championships in Athletics in Athens, Greece.-Medalists:-Heats:First 3 of each Heat and the next 9 fastest qualified for the quarterfinals.-Quarterfinals:...
. In the relay at the 1997 World Championships, four others participated on the Nigerian team, and ended up taking the silver medal.
Ogunkoya won the 100 metres race at the 1996 African Championships
1996 African Championships in Athletics
-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-External links:* - GBR Athletics...
and became Nigerian champion in 1996 and 1997. In 1998 he won the Weltklasse Zürich
Weltklasse Zürich
Weltklasse Zürich is an annual track and field meeting at the Letzigrund in Zurich, Switzerland. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League. One of the first large-scale international athletics events , it is sometimes referred to as the one day...
meet with 9.96 seconds, a new personal best, before winning the 1998 African Championships
1998 African Championships in Athletics
The 11th African Championships in Athletics were held in Dakar, Senegal, from August 18 to August 22 in the Stade Leopold Senghor.-Track:-Field:-Track:-Field:-Medal table:-External links:* - GBR Athletics...
in another personal best, and championship record, of 9.94 seconds. In September he finished fourth at the IAAF Grand Prix Final
1998 IAAF Grand Prix Final
The 14th IAAF Grand Prix Final was held at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia on September 5, 1998.-Men:- Women :-External links:*...
before winning the silver medal at the 1998 World Cup. Here he improved his personal best time to 9.92 seconds, which was also his lifetime best, as well as a Nigerian record
Nigerian records in athletics
The following are the national records in athletics in Nigeria maintained by the Athletic Federation of Nigeria .-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:+ = en route to a longer distanceA = affected by altitude# = not officially ratified by IAAF...
. He also won a bronze medal in the 4 x 100 metres relay
4 x 100 metres relay
The 4 × 100 metres relay or sprint relay is an athletics track event run in lanes over one lap of the track with four runners completing 100 metres each. The first runners begin in the same stagger as for the individual 400 m race...
, with the African team.
He also set personal bests of 20.50 seconds in the 200 metres
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
, achieved in July 1997 in Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
, and 6.52 seconds in the 60 metres
60 metres
60 metres is a sprint event in track and field athletics. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes...
, achieved in February 1998 in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
.
Later career and life
Ogunkoya ran in 10.27 seconds as a season's best in 1999. In July 2000 he ran in 10.23 seconds in LagosLagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
. In the same year he was named for the Olympic squad, but fell through with an eighth and last place in his 100 metres heat. He moved to Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
where he recorded a 10.72 second race in June 2003.
Commenting on how Ogunkoya's career had plummeted, an elder in Ondo State
Ondo State
Ondo State, Nigeria was created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State. It originally included what is now Ekiti State, which was split off in 1996. Akure is the state capital.-Government and society:...
stated that "he was not doing anything to pick up his track career. He was just walking the streets of Akure, not knowing what to do". Fellow sprinter Enefiok Udo-Obong
Enefiok Udo-Obong
Enefiok Udo-Obong is a Nigerian sprinter who won a gold medal in 4 x 400 metres relay at the 2000 Olympics as well as a bronze medal in the same event at the 2004 Olympics.-External links:...
commented that Ogunkoya struggled with the loss of his mother, who was also his manager.
Ogunkoya reportedly attempted a comeback in 2004, with a new training base in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. It did not materialize to anything, but he tried to return again in 2007. He trained with Tobias Igwe in Umuahia
Umuahia
Umuahia is the capital of Abia State in southeastern Nigeria. Umuahia is located along the rail road that lies between Port Harcourt to Umuahia's south and Enugu city to its north. Umuahia has a population of 359,230 according to the 2006 Nigerian census. Umuahia's indigenous ethnic group are the...
. He competed in the 2007 Track and Field Championship in Nigeria, but failed to progress from round one.