Kriss Akabusi

Kriss Akabusi

Personal information
Full name	Kriss Kezie Uche Chukwu Duru Akabusi
Born	November 28, 1958 (1958-11-28) Paddington, London
Sport
Sport	Running / Hurdling
Medal record Men's Athletics Competitor for Great Britain Olympic Games Silver 1984 Los Angeles 4x400 m relay Bronze 1992 Barcelona 400 m hurdles Bronze 1992 Barcelona 4x400 m relay World Championships Gold 1991 Tokyo 4x400 m relay Silver 1987 Rome 4x400 m relay Bronze 1991 Tokyo 400 m hurdles European Championships Gold 1990 Split 400 m hurdles Gold 1990 Split 4x400 m relay Competitor for England Commonwealth Games Gold 1990 Auckland 400 m hurdles

Kriss Kezie Uche Chukwu Duru Akabusi MBE (born 28 November 1958) is a former sprint and hurdling athlete from the United Kingdom. During his career, he won the gold medal in the 400 metres hurdles at the 1990 European Championships, a gold in the 4 x 400 metres relay at the 1991 World Championships, and a silver medal in the 4 x 400 m relay at the 1984 Olympic Games. Since retiring from athletics, he has worked as a television presenter and motivational speaker.

Military career

Akabusi joined the British Army in 1975, having a successful career in the Royal Corps of Signals before switching to the Army Physical Training Corps (as it was then called) in 1981. When he was discharged into the reserves at the end of his army career he held the rank of Warrant Officer Class 2.

Athletics career

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

As a member of the British 4 x 400 m relay team, Akabusi won a silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

In 1990, Akabusi broke David Hemery's longstanding British 400 m hurdles record of 48.12 seconds on his way to a gold medal at the European Championships with a time of 47.93 seconds. He also won the 400 m hurdles gold medal at that year's Commonwealth Games.

At the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo, Akabusi won the bronze medal in the 400 m hurdles. He then ran the anchor leg for the British 4 x 400 m relay team. At the start of the final lap, Akabusi took the baton in second place behind the United States team, and he dramatically overtook the American runner Antonio Pettigrew (who had won the 400 m individual event) on the final bend and crossed the line in first place to win the gold medal for Britain in a time of 2:57.54, a British record.

At the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona Akabusi won the bronze medal in the 400 m hurdles, lowering his British record to 47.82 seconds, a time which still stands. He also won a bronze in the 4 x 400 m relay.

Television work

Akabusi has presented the television shows Record Breakers (joining after the death of long-serving presenter Roy Castle in 1994) and The Big Breakfast, and has regularly appeared as a panelist on many quiz shows such as A Question of Sport, They Think It's All Over and Through the Keyhole. Through these appearances he became well known for having an over-the-top laugh, which was spoofed in an episode of the Vicar of Dibley when Owen Newitt proposes to the vicar saying, "If you accept, I'll be the happiest man in the world apart from Kriss Akabusi." He appeared as a milkman in the 1997 Last of the Summer Wine episode "There Goes the Groom". Kriss Akabusi's first marriage was to Monika Akabusi who got Akabusi into athletics.

He is widely regarded as the originator for the catchphrase 'Awoooga!', followed by a double fist pump although the phrase actually originated on TV series Red Dwarf.

Honours

In 1992, Akabusi was awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of his services to the country through athletics. Also that year, he was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Southampton along with fellow relay team member Roger Black.

In 2008 University College London Union renamed their student sports bar to the 'Kriss Akabusi Pleasure Lounge', in honour of one of the university's most famous sporting alumni. In 2010, on the back of popular demand, Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, also renamed their bar the 'Kriss Akabusi Entertainment Saloon'.

Achievements

• 1984
  • Summer Olympics - Los Angeles, United States.
    • 4 x 400 m. relay silver medal
• 1987
  • World Championships - Rome, Italy.
    • 4 x 400 m. relay silver medal
• 1989
  • IAAF World Cup - Barcelona, Spain.
    • 400 m. hurdles bronze medal
  • European Cup - Gateshead, England.
    • 400 m. hurdles gold medal
• 1990
  • Commonwealth Games - Auckland, New Zealand.
    • 400 m. hurdles gold medal
  • European Championships- Split, Yugoslavia.
    • 400 m. hurdles gold medal
• 1991
  • World Championships - Tokyo, Japan.
    • 400 m. hurdles bronze medal
    • 4 x 400 m. relay gold medal
  • European Cup - Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
    • 400 m. hurdles gold medal
• 1992
  • Summer Olympics: Barcelona, Spain.
    • 400 m. hurdles bronze medal
    • 4 x 400 m. relay bronze medal

External links

• The Official Website of Kriss Akabusi
• United Kingdom Athletics profile for Kriss Akabusi
• Kriss Akabusi at the Internet Movie Database
• Guardian interview, 12 August 2008
• London Student Newspaper coverage of the UCLU bar re-naming