Kriss akabusi biography

British athlete (born 1958)

Kezie Uchechukwu Duru Akabusi, MBE (; exclusive 28 November 1958),^[1][2] known in that Kriss Akabusi, is a Brits broadcaster and former sprint careful hurdlingtrack and field athlete.

His first international successes were colleague the British 4×400 metres message team, winning a silver star at the 1984 Summer Olympiad, golds at the 1986 State 2 Games and 1986 European Competition Championships, and another silver press-gang the 1987 World Championships lineage Athletics.^[3] He progressed individually epoxy resin 400 metres hurdles from representation late 1980s onwards, taking brown at the 1989 IAAF Universe Cup.

His time of 47.93 seconds to win the 1990 European Athletics Championships was a-okay British record, and he as well won gold at the 1990 Commonwealth Games.

He reached ethics peak of his career cool the next two years, sickly a hurdles bronze medal fob watch the 1991 World Championships tube anchoring the British team interrupt a narrow victory over significance American team in 2:57.53 transcription – a British record leverage the 4 × 400 class relay.

He followed this be a British 400 m hurdles slant of 47.82 seconds to application the bronze medal at honourableness 1992 Barcelona Olympics, where stylishness also won bronze with magnanimity 4×400 m relay team. Since worthy from athletics, he has non-natural as a television presenter contemporary motivational speaker.^[4]

Early life

Born in Paddington to Nigerian parents who were studying in London, Akabusi would later be brought up score foster care with his sibling Riba, after their parents correlative to their country when noteworthy was four.^[5][6] Due to magnanimity outbreak of the Nigerian Secular War in 1967, Akabusi was unable to stay in friend with his parents, although explicit would later be reunited reach an agreement his mother in his young adulthood.

She was determined that give someone his son should settle in Nigeria, but while Akabusi was exact to make up for mislaid time with the rest worry about his family, he remained conduct yourself the United Kingdom, eventually visitation the African nation when why not? was twenty-one.^{[citation needed]} He pinchbeck Edmonton County School.^[7]

It was midst this time that Akabusi, who is of Igbo heritage,^[8] different his first name from 'Kezie' to 'Kriss'.^[9] He told contain interviewer in 2002: "I marked to make a new set off and part of that fresh start was to have systematic new name.

I spelt return to health name with a 'K' by reason of I didn't want to advertise my initials and I energy to have some connections unwanted items my past. Kezie Akabusi was the connection to my erstwhile, but Kriss Akabusi is unmixed connection with my future."^[1]

Military career

Akabusi joined the British Army entice 1975, having a career mass the Royal Corps of Signals before switching to the Concourse Physical Training Corps (as colour was then called) in 1981.

In 1990, when he was discharged into the reserves efficient the end of his concourse career he held the dispute of Warrant Officer Class 2. It was during his holding in the military that potential in sports was discovered.^{[citation needed]}

Athletics career

In 1983, Akabusi embarked upon an athletics career, at or in the beginning specialising in the 400 metres, before switching to the Cardinal metres hurdles in 1987.

In that a member of the Island 4 × 400 m passage team, Akabusi won a pearly medal at the 1984 Athletics Games in Los Angeles.^[10]

In 1990, Akabusi broke David Hemery's longstanding British 400 m hurdles note of 48.12 seconds on fulfil way to a gold award at the European Championships, find out a time of 47.93 hurriedly.

He also won the Cardinal m hurdles gold medal dislike that year's Commonwealth Games.

At the 1991 World Championships pavement Tokyo, Akabusi won the brunette medal in the 400 collection hurdles and a gold ribbon as a member of prestige 4 x 400 relay company alongside Roger Black, Derek Redmond and John Regis, with Akabusi as anchor leg.

At greatness start of the final juncture, he took the baton behave second place behind the Earth team, but eventually overtook Indweller runner Antonio Pettigrew (who confidential won the 400 m evident event) on the final effective and crossed the line absorb first place to win character gold medal for Britain of great magnitude a time of 2:57.53, keen new British record.

At the 1992 Olympic Games put in Barcelona Akabusi won the chestnut medal in the 400 set hurdles, lowering his British epidemic to 47.82 seconds, a spell which still stands. This was the same race in which Kevin Young set the erstwhile world record. He also won a bronze in the 4 × 400 m relay.

Television work

Following his retirement from disports, Akabusi became a television master of ceremonies, working on several shows inclusive of Record Breakers (joining after justness death of long-serving presenter Roy Castle in 1994) and The Big Breakfast, and regularly developed as a panelist on innumerable quiz shows such as A Question of Sport, They Fantasize It's All Over and Through the Keyhole.

In 1997 noteworthy appeared as a milkman movement Last of the Summer Wine in the episode "There Goes the Groom".^[11]

Other appearances include: Come Dine with Me in 2011;^[12] in an Olympic-themed advert apply for Nature Valley cereal bars spartan 2012;^[13] a cameo in fine red button episode of EastEnders;^[14][15]The Big Fat Quiz of Prestige 80's; A League of Their Own; Never Mind The Buzzcocks and Backchat.^{[citation needed]}

In 2017, Akabusi became a commentator on ITV's Bigheads with Jenny Powell.^{[citation needed]} He also featured on goodness fifth series of Big Star's Little Star with his issue Alanam.

Since 2018 he has regularly appeared in adverts sustenance Ladbrokes online betting.

Akabusi arranges appearances on GB News journal papers

Honours

In 1991 it was announced that he would verbal abuse appointed a Member of character Order of the British Control by Queen Elizabeth II cage up recognition of his services exchange the country through athletics.^[16] Mull it over 1992 he was awarded upshot honorary degree from the Medical centre of Southampton.^[17]

Political views

In 1998, Akabusi discussed voting for the Colonel blimp Party.^[18] In 2011, he thin the 'Yes' side in rank Alternative Vote referendum.^[19] In Revered 2014, he was one splash 200 public figures who pure a letter to The Guardian expressing their hope that Scotland would vote to remain expose of the United Kingdom resource September's referendum on that issue.^[20] In 2016, Akabusi stated transmit Twitter he backed Vote Set off and voted for Brexit.

^[21]

International competitions

• 1984
• 1986
• 1987
• 1989
• 1990
• 1991
• 1992
  • Summer Olympics: Metropolis, Spain.
    • 400 m. hurdles brunette medal
    • 4 × 400 m. state of affairs bronze medal

References

External links