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 Akabusi atHyde Park, 2012 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British (English) |
| Born | (1958-11-28)28 November 1958 (age 67) Paddington, London, England |
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) |
| Weight | 81 kg (179 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Track and field |
Event(s) | Sprinting,hurdling |
| Club | Southampton & Eastleigh A.A.C./Team Solent |
Medal record | |
Kezie Uchechukwu Duru Akabusi,MBE (// ⓘ; born 28 November 1958),[1][2] known asKriss Akabusi, is a British broadcaster and formersprint andhurdlingtrack and field athlete.
His first international successes were with the British4 × 400 metres relay team, winning a silver medal at the1984 Summer Olympics, golds at the1986 Commonwealth Games and1986 European Athletics Championships, and another silver at the1987 World Championships in Athletics.[3] He progressed individually in400 metres hurdles from the late 1980s onwards, taking bronze at the1989 IAAF World Cup. His time of 47.93 seconds to win the1990 European Athletics Championships was aBritish record, and he also won gold at the1990 Commonwealth Games.
He reached the peak of his career over the next two years, winning a hurdles bronze medal at the1991 World Championships and anchoring the British team to a narrow victory over the American team in 2:57.53 minutes – a British record for the 4 × 400 m relay. He followed this with a British 400 m hurdles record of 47.82 seconds to take the bronze medal at the1992 Barcelona Olympics, where he also won bronze with the 4 × 400 m relay team. Since retiring from athletics, he has worked as atelevision presenter andmotivational speaker.[4]
Born inPaddington toNigerian parents who were studying in London, Akabusi would later be brought up in foster care with his brother Riba, after their parents returned to their country when he was four.[5][6] Due to the outbreak of theNigerian Civil War in 1967, Akabusi was unable to stay in contact with his parents, although he would later be reunited with his mother in his teens. She was determined that her son should settle in Nigeria, but while Akabusi was keen to make up for lost time with the rest of his family, he remained in theUnited Kingdom, eventually visiting the African nation when he was twenty-one.[citation needed] He attendedEdmonton County School.[7]
It was during this time that Akabusi, who is ofIgbo heritage,[8] changed his first name from 'Kezie' to 'Kriss'.[9] He told an interviewer in 2002: "I decided to make a new start and part of that new start was to have a new name. I spelt my name with a 'K' because I didn't want to change my initials and I want to have some connections with my past. Kezie Akabusi was the connection to my past, but Kriss Akabusi is a connection with my future."[1]
Akabusi joined theBritish Army in 1975, having a career in theRoyal Corps of Signals before switching to theArmy Physical Training Corps (as it was then called) in 1981. In 1990, when he was discharged into the reserves at the end of his army career he held the rank ofWarrant Officer Class 2. It was during his tenure in the military that his potential in sports was discovered.[citation needed]
In 1983, Akabusi embarked upon an athletics career, initially specialising in the400 metres.[10] As a member of the British 4 × 400 m relay team, Akabusi won a silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games inLos Angeles.[11]
Akabusi became theBritish 400 metres champion after winning the BritishAAA Championships title at the1988 AAA Championships.[12] He was also theBritish 400 metres hurdles champion after winning the1992 AAA Championships.[13]
In 1990, Akabusi brokeDavid 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 metres hurdles gold medal forEngland at the1990 Commonwealth Games inAuckland, New Zealand[14]
At the1991 World Championships inTokyo, Akabusi won the bronze medal in the 400 m hurdles and a gold medal as a member of the 4 × 400 relay team alongsideRoger Black,Derek Redmond andJohn Regis, with Akabusi as anchor leg. At the start of the final lap, he took the baton in second place behind theAmerican team, but eventually overtook American runnerAntonio Pettigrew (who had won the 400 m individual event) on the final straight and crossed the line in first place to win the gold medal for Britain in a time of 2:57.53, a new British record.[15]
At the1992 Olympic Games inBarcelona Akabusi won the bronze medal in the 400 m hurdles, lowering his British record to 47.82 seconds, a time which still stands. This was the same race in whichKevin Young set the former world record. He also won a bronze in the 4 × 400 m relay.[11]
Following his retirement from sports, Akabusi became a television presenter, working on several shows includingRecord Breakers (joining after the death of long-serving presenterRoy Castle in 1994) andThe Big Breakfast, and regularly appeared as a panelist on manyquiz shows such asA Question of Sport,They Think It's All Over andThrough the Keyhole. In 1997 he appeared as a milkman onLast of the Summer Wine in the episode "There Goes the Groom".[16]
Other appearances include:Come Dine with Me in 2011;[17] in an Olympic-themed advert for Nature Valley cereal bars in 2012;[18] a cameo in ared button episode ofEastEnders;[19][20]The Big Fat Quiz of The 80's;A League of Their Own;Never Mind The Buzzcocks andBackchat.[citation needed]
In 2017, Akabusi became a commentator onITV'sBigheads withJenny Powell.[citation needed] He also featured on the fifth series ofBig Star's Little Star with his son Alannam. Since 2018 he has regularly appeared in adverts forLadbrokes online betting.
Akabusi makes appearances onGB News reviewing papers
In 1991 it was announced that he would be appointed a Member of theOrder of the British Empire byQueen Elizabeth II in recognition of his services to the country through athletics.[21] In 1992 he was awarded anhonorary degree from theUniversity of Southampton.[22]
In 1998, Akabusi discussed voting for theConservative Party.[23] In 2011, he supported the 'Yes' side in theAlternative Vote referendum.[24] In August 2014, he was one of 200 public figures who signed a letter toThe Guardian expressing their hope that Scotland would vote to remain part of the United Kingdom in September'sreferendum on that issue.[25] In 2016, Akabusi stated on Twitter he backed Vote Leave and voted for Brexit.[26]
European Athletics Championships champions in men's400 metres hurdles | |
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Commonwealth Games champions in men's400 metres hurdles | |
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| 440 yards hurdles (1930–1966) | |
| 400 metres hurdles (1970–present) |
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| International | |
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| People | |
| Other | |
