Derrick Adkins
Encyclopedia
Derrick R. Adkins (born July 2, 1970) is a former American
athlete, winner of 400 m hurdles at the 1996 Summer Olympics
.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, attended Malverne High School, Derrick Adkins rose into the international athletics scene in 1991, when he finished third at the US National Championships and qualified to the 1991 World Championships
, where he finished in the sixth place.
Adkins won the World Student Games in 1991 and 1993 and finished seventh at the 1993 World Championships
. Adkins made a rapid improvement in 1994, when he won his first US National Championships. He repeated this win in the next year and at the 1995 World Championships
he was already a main favourite to the gold medal. At Gothenburg
, Adkins won his heat easily and in the final he won the gold narrowly ahead of his career long rival Samuel Matete
from Zambia
.
Prior to the Atlanta
Olympics, Matete beat Adkins in four races out of five, but at the Olympic Games
itself Adkins turned the tables on Matete, winning in a time of 47.54 and beating Matete to a second place by 0.24 seconds.
In 1997, Adkins was second at the US National Championships, but missed the final for the first time at a World Championships by finishing only fifth at the semi-final. Adkins was Assistant Coach of Columbia University's Track and Field team between 2004 and 2006.
On February 17 Adkins appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman showing his gold medal on "Show and Tell".
Adkins is currently the director of the New Balance Track and Field Armory center in New York City.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
athlete, winner of 400 m hurdles 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....
.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, attended Malverne High School, Derrick Adkins rose into the international athletics scene in 1991, when he finished third at the US National Championships and qualified to the 1991 World Championships
1991 World Championships in Athletics
The 3rd World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held in the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan between August 23 and September 1 and athletes from 167 countries participated in the event.The event is best-remembered for the...
, where he finished in the sixth place.
Adkins won the World Student Games in 1991 and 1993 and finished seventh at the 1993 World Championships
1993 World Championships in Athletics
The 4th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held in the Gottlieb Daimler Stadium, Stuttgart, Germany between August 13 and August 22 with the participation of 187 nations....
. Adkins made a rapid improvement in 1994, when he won his first US National Championships. He repeated this win in the next year and at the 1995 World Championships
1995 World Championships in Athletics
The 5th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, Sweden between August 5 and August 13.This edition featured 1804 athletes from 191 nations....
he was already a main favourite to the gold medal. At Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, Adkins won his heat easily and in the final he won the gold narrowly ahead of his career long rival Samuel Matete
Samuel Matete
Samuel Matete is a retired male track and field athlete from Zambia, who competed mainly in 400 meter hurdles. Noted for his exceptionally fast finish, he was one of the world's leading hurdlers in the early 1990s, and became the first Zambian track and field world champion in 1991...
from Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
.
Prior to the Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
Olympics, Matete beat Adkins in four races out of five, but at the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
itself Adkins turned the tables on Matete, winning in a time of 47.54 and beating Matete to a second place by 0.24 seconds.
In 1997, Adkins was second at the US National Championships, but missed the final for the first time at a World Championships by finishing only fifth at the semi-final. Adkins was Assistant Coach of Columbia University's Track and Field team between 2004 and 2006.
On February 17 Adkins appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman showing his gold medal on "Show and Tell".
Adkins is currently the director of the New Balance Track and Field Armory center in New York City.