Olusoji Fasuba
Encyclopedia
Olusoji Adetokunbo Fasuba (born 9 July 1984) is a Nigeria
n sprinter
who specializes in the 100 metres
. He is the current African record holder in the event with 9.85 seconds.
He was a member of the Nigerian bronze medal winning team in the 4 x 100 metres relay
at the 2004 Olympic Games
. The same year he won the African Championships
on 100 metres. He won the silver medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
behind Asafa Powell
and was the indoor world champion over 60 metres in 2008, becoming the first African to complete the feat.
, Delta State
in Nigeria, the eldest of three children. Sprinting was part of his family life as his mother, a Jamaica
n, was a runner in her youth and is the cousin of Don Quarrie
, a 200 metres
Olympic gold medallist. His parents encouraged him to run from a young age and he was so fast that secondary school
s would ask him to compete for them, even though he was of primary school age. Furthermore, he was a proficient football, volleyball
or basketball
player and, as a result, he managed to attend Merit More Secondary School through an athletics scholarship. He dominated the school's athletics events, winning not only the sprint events
but also the high jump
and long jump
. Fasuba continued his studies at Obafemi Awolowo University
in Ile-Ife but found the work difficult. Encouraged by his mother, he decided to leave the education system in favour of athletics, his foremost passion.
at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics
and finished fourth with the Nigerian team. Fasuba closed the year with a win in the 100 m at the inaugural Afro-Asian Games
. In 2004, he went on to win at the 2004 African Championships in Athletics
, and won his first major medal a few months later – an Olympic bronze medal as part of the 4×100 m relay team at the 2004 Athens Olympics. The following year he competed in the 100 and 200 m at the World Championships
, but failed to reach either final.
In early 2006 he finished fifth at the World Indoor Championships
and second at the Commonwealth Games
. He then established a new African record
with 9.85 seconds from the Doha
Grand Prix in May, breaking Frankie Fredericks
' old record of 9.86 s from 1996, Fasuba's run was remarkable as he is almost a foot shorter than many other sprinters, he is thought to have one of the fastest footspeeds in athletics. Despite having injury problems throughout the season, Fasuba defended his regional title at the 2006 African Championships
. For his 2006 achievements the The Athletics Federation of Nigeria chose him as the Nigerian Male Athlete of the Year.
He won two gold medals at the 2007 All-Africa Games
, winning in the 100 m and 4×100 m relay. However, the occasion was marred by calls for him to be banned from the Nigerian team following a misunderstanding: Fasuba had planned to celebrate with the Nigerian flag but he had to abandon the celebration after he was called to take a drugs test. On 26 August 2007, he finished fourth in the 100 m at the 2007 World Championships
with 10.07 s. Fasuba won the World Indoor Championships
60 m sprint on 8 March 2008 in a time of 6.51 s. At the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
he competed at the 100 m and placed second in his heat after Tyson Gay
in a time of 10.29 s. He qualified for the second round in which he improved his time to 10.21 seconds. However, he was unable to qualify for the semi-finals as he finished in fourth place after Richard Thompson
, Gay and Martial Mbandjock
.
Fasuba was entered into the 100 m at the 2009 World Championships
, but his performance was modest and he was eliminated in the second round after running 10.25 seconds. After a poor start to 2010, he was not selected to defend his 60 m title at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships
as Sunday Bada of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria stated he was not in form.
runner, at his first national athletics training camp in 2003 and they are now married.
Having beaten Frank Fredericks' previous mark, Fasuba is the 100 m African record holder with 9.85 s. Furthermore, this places him as the ninth fastest 100 m runner ever and the fastest runner outside of the NACAC area. He also has the third fastest time by an African runner in the 60 metres
with 6.49 s; only Leonard Myles-Mills
and fellow Nigerian Deji Aliu
have run faster.
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...
who specializes in the 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...
. He is the current African record holder in the event with 9.85 seconds.
He was a member of the Nigerian bronze medal winning team 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...
at the 2004 Olympic Games
Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's 4 x 100 metres relay
The men's 4×100 metres relay was one of 23 track events of the athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics, in Athens. It was contested at the Athens Olympic Stadium, from August 27 and August 28, by a total of sixteen national teams comprising 64 athletes....
. The same year he won the African Championships
2004 African Championships in Athletics
The 14th African Championships in Athletics were held in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo in July, 2004. Since African Championships is a biennial event, this edition was contested only a month before 2004 Summer Olympics. Thus some top athletes shunned the event...
on 100 metres. He won the silver medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
Athletics at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
At the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the athletics events were held in Melbourne, Australia from 19 March to 25 March 2006. A total of 47 events were contested, of which 24 by male and 23 by female athletes. Furthermore, three men's and three women's disability events were held within the programme...
behind Asafa Powell
Asafa Powell
Asafa Powell C.D is a Jamaican sprinter who specialises in the 100 metres. He held the 100 m world record between June 2005 and May 2008, with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds respectively. Powell has consistently broken the 10-second barrier in competition, with his personal best of...
and was the indoor world champion over 60 metres in 2008, becoming the first African to complete the feat.
Early life
Fasuba was born in SapeleSapele
Sapele , also known as Sapelli or Aboudikro, is a large tree, Entandrophragma cylindricum, up to 45 m high and native to tropical Africa. The leaves are deciduous in the dry season, alternately arranged, pinnate, with 5-9 pairs of leaflets, each leaflet about 10 cm long...
, Delta State
Delta State
Delta State may refer to:*Delta State, a state in southern Nigeria.*Delta State , a Canadian animated television series.*Delta State University, a public university located in the U.S. state of Mississippi....
in Nigeria, the eldest of three children. Sprinting was part of his family life as his mother, a Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n, was a runner in her youth and is the cousin of Don Quarrie
Don Quarrie
Donald O'Riley Quarrie C.D is a former Jamaican athlete, one of the world's top sprinters during the 1970s....
, a 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...
Olympic gold medallist. His parents encouraged him to run from a young age and he was so fast that secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
s would ask him to compete for them, even though he was of primary school age. Furthermore, he was a proficient football, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
or basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player and, as a result, he managed to attend Merit More Secondary School through an athletics scholarship. He dominated the school's athletics events, winning not only the sprint events
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...
but also the high jump
High jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
and long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
. Fasuba continued his studies at Obafemi Awolowo University
Obafemi Awolowo University
Obafemi Awolowo University is a government-owned and -operated Nigerian university. The university is in the ancient city of Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria...
in Ile-Ife but found the work difficult. Encouraged by his mother, he decided to leave the education system in favour of athletics, his foremost passion.
Athletics career
Fasuba had his breakthrough year in 2003, starting with the 2003 national trials. He was selected for the 4 x 100 metres relay2003 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 4 x 100 metres relay
These are the official results of the Men's 4 x 100 metres relay event at the 2003 IAAF World Championships in Paris, France. Their final was held on 31 August 2001 at 17:50h.-Final:-Heat 1:-Heat 2:-Heat 1:-Heat 2:-Heat 3:-Heat 4:...
at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics
2003 World Championships in Athletics
The 9th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held from 23 August to 31 August 2003 in the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, France.-Track:...
and finished fourth with the Nigerian team. Fasuba closed the year with a win in the 100 m at the inaugural Afro-Asian Games
Athletics at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games
The athletics events at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games were held from October 28 to October 30, 2003 at the GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium. A total of 42 events were contested at the inaugural edition of the Games.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:Key:...
. In 2004, he went on to win at the 2004 African Championships in Athletics
2004 African Championships in Athletics
The 14th African Championships in Athletics were held in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo in July, 2004. Since African Championships is a biennial event, this edition was contested only a month before 2004 Summer Olympics. Thus some top athletes shunned the event...
, and won his first major medal a few months later – an Olympic bronze medal as part of the 4×100 m relay team at the 2004 Athens Olympics. The following year he competed in the 100 and 200 m at the World Championships
2005 World Championships in Athletics
The 10th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held in the Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland , the site of the first IAAF World Championships in 1983. One theme of the 2005 championships was paralympic sports, some of...
, but failed to reach either final.
In early 2006 he finished fifth at the World Indoor Championships
2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 11th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations was held in Moscow from March 10 to March 12, 2006 in the Olimpiyski Sport arena....
and second at the Commonwealth Games
Athletics at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
At the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the athletics events were held in Melbourne, Australia from 19 March to 25 March 2006. A total of 47 events were contested, of which 24 by male and 23 by female athletes. Furthermore, three men's and three women's disability events were held within the programme...
. He then established a new African record
African records in athletics
African records in athletics are the best marks set in a track and field and road running events by an athlete who competes for a member nation of the Confederation of African Athletics . The organisation is responsible for ratification and it analyses each record before approving it...
with 9.85 seconds from the Doha
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
Grand Prix in May, breaking Frankie Fredericks
Frankie Fredericks
Frank Fredericks is a former athlete from Namibia. Running in the 100 metres and 200 metres, he won four silver medals at the Olympic Games , making him Namibia's first and so far only Olympic medalist...
' old record of 9.86 s from 1996, Fasuba's run was remarkable as he is almost a foot shorter than many other sprinters, he is thought to have one of the fastest footspeeds in athletics. Despite having injury problems throughout the season, Fasuba defended his regional title at the 2006 African Championships
2006 African Championships in Athletics
The 15th African Championships in Athletics were held in Mauritius between August 9 and August 13, 2006. The event was staged at Stade Germain Comarmond in Bambous, Black River district...
. For his 2006 achievements the The Athletics Federation of Nigeria chose him as the Nigerian Male Athlete of the Year.
He won two gold medals at the 2007 All-Africa Games
2007 All-Africa Games
The 9th All-Africa Games took place between 11 and 23 July 2007 in Algiers, the capital city of Algeria. Algiers is the first city to hold All-Africa Games for a second time. The 1978 All-Africa Games were held there...
, winning in the 100 m and 4×100 m relay. However, the occasion was marred by calls for him to be banned from the Nigerian team following a misunderstanding: Fasuba had planned to celebrate with the Nigerian flag but he had to abandon the celebration after he was called to take a drugs test. On 26 August 2007, he finished fourth in the 100 m at the 2007 World Championships
2007 World Championships in Athletics
The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...
with 10.07 s. Fasuba won the World Indoor Championships
2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Luis Puig Palace in Valencia, Spain, March 7-9, 2008.-Bid:Valencia was announced the winning bidder by the IAAF on November 13, 2005 at an IAAF Council meeting in Moscow, Russia.-Men:...
60 m sprint on 8 March 2008 in a time of 6.51 s. At the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
he competed at the 100 m and placed second in his heat after Tyson Gay
Tyson Gay
Tyson Gay is an American track and field sprinter. His primary events are the 100 meters and 200 meters. His personal bests establish him as the second fastest athlete in the 100 meters and the fifth fastest athlete in the history of the 200 meters, with times of 9.69 and...
in a time of 10.29 s. He qualified for the second round in which he improved his time to 10.21 seconds. However, he was unable to qualify for the semi-finals as he finished in fourth place after Richard Thompson
Richard Thompson (athlete)
Richard "Torpedo" Thompson is a sprinter from Cascade, Trinidad and Tobago who specializes in the 100 metres. He was the silver medalist in the event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, running a personal best of 9.89 seconds....
, Gay and Martial Mbandjock
Martial Mbandjock
Martial Mbandjock is an a French sprinter who specializes in the 100 metres. His personal best time is 10.06 seconds, achieved in July 2008 in Albi....
.
Fasuba was entered into the 100 m at the 2009 World Championships
2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 100 metres
The men's 100 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics were held at the Olympic Stadium on August 15 and August 16. The two main contenders for the event were the reigning World Champion Tyson Gay and Usain Bolt, the reigning Olympic champion and world record holder...
, but his performance was modest and he was eliminated in the second round after running 10.25 seconds. After a poor start to 2010, he was not selected to defend his 60 m title at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships
2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics was held between 12 and 14 March at the ASPIRE Dome in Doha, Qatar. The championships was the first of six IAAF World Athletics Series events to take place in 2010.-Bidding and organisation:...
as Sunday Bada of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria stated he was not in form.
Personal life
Fasuba is the first child of Olumide and Evelyn Fasuba, and has a younger brother (Kayode) and a younger sister (Yinka). He met Ngozi Nwokocha, an 400 metres400 metres
The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...
runner, at his first national athletics training camp in 2003 and they are now married.
Achievements
Last updated April 2009Having beaten Frank Fredericks' previous mark, Fasuba is the 100 m African record holder with 9.85 s. Furthermore, this places him as the ninth fastest 100 m runner ever and the fastest runner outside of the NACAC area. He also has the third fastest time by an African runner 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...
with 6.49 s; only Leonard Myles-Mills
Leonard Myles-Mills
Leonard Myles-Mills is a Ghanaian athlete specializing in the 100 metres.He has won a gold medal at the 1999 All-Africa Games, a silver medal at the 2003 All-Africa Games and a bronze medal at the 1998 African Championships. In 1999 he set a new African indoor record in 60 metres with 6.45 seconds...
and fellow Nigerian Deji Aliu
Deji Aliu
Deji Aliu is a Nigerian sprinter. He won the 100 metres event at the 2003 All-Africa Games. He also took fourth place in the event at the 2002 Commonwealth Games....
have run faster.
Personal bests
| Event | Time (seconds) | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 metres 50 metres 50 metres is a sprint event in track and field. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor athletics competitions it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes... |
5.76 s | Liévin Liévin Liévin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Overview:The city of Liévin is an old mining city of Pas-de-Calais. Near Lens, this modest-sized city nevertheless has several nursery schools, schools, colleges, a university, a swimming pool, a city library, a cultural and... , France |
28 February 2004 |
| 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... |
6.49 s | Stuttgart Stuttgart Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million .... , Germany |
3 February 2007 |
| 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... |
9.85 s | Doha Doha Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar... , Qatar |
12 May 2006 |
| 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... |
20.52 s | Brussels Brussels Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union... , Belgium |
3 September 2004 |
- All information taken from IAAF profile.