John Akii-Bua
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| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
 John Akii-Bua |
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| Men's Athletics | ||
Competitor for  Uganda |
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| Olympic Games | ||
| Gold | 1972 Munich | 400 m hurdles |
| All-Africa Games | ||
| Gold | 1973 Lagos | 400 m hurdles |
| Silver | 1978 Algiers | 400 m hurdles |
John Akii-Bua (December 3, 1949 – June 20, 1997) was a Ugandan hurdler and the first Olympic champion from his country.
Akii-Bua started his athletic career as a hurdler on the short distance, but coached by British-born coach Malcolm Arnold, he was introduced to the 400 m hurdles [1]. After finishing 4th in the 1970 Commonwealth Games and running the fastest season time in 1971, he was not a big favourite for the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, having limited competition experience. Nevertheless he won the final there, setting a world record time of 47.82 seconds. A spectator handed him a Ugandan flag, and Akii-Bua accepted it and ran around the track with it unfurled, beginning the victor's 'lap of honour' tradition.[citation needed]. He missed the 1976 Olympics and a show down with American rival Edwin Moses due to a boycott of African nations including Uganda.
As a police officer, Akii-Bua was promoted by Ugandan president Idi Amin, and given a house, as a reward for his athletic prowess. When the Amin regime was collapsing, he fled to Kenya with his family, fearful that he would be seen as a collaborator; this was more likely because he was a member of the Langi tribe, many of whom were persecuted by Amin, whereas Akii-Bua was cited by Amin as an example of a Langi who was doing well. However, in Kenya he was put into a refugee camp. From there, he was freed by his shoe-manufacturer Puma and lived in Germany working for Puma for 3-4 years before returning to Uganda and becoming a coach.[2]
Akii-Bua died a widower, at the age of 47, survived by 11 of his children. He was given a state funeral [1].
His nephew is international footballer David Obua.
[edit] References
- ^ a b IAAF, June 5, 2008: Inzikuru to return to action in Akii Bua CAA Grand Prix
- ^ The John Akii-Bua Story: an African Tragedy, documentary by Dan Gordon, BBC2 10th August 2008
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
Preceded by Ralph Mann |
Men's 400m Hurdles Best Year Performance 1972 – 1973 |
Succeeded by Jim Bolding |
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