Mary Onyali-Omagbemi

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Mary Onyali-Omagbemi bigraphy, stories - Nigerian sprinter

Mary Onyali-Omagbemi : biography

February 3, 1968 –

Mary Onyali-Omagbemi (born February 3, 1968) is a Nigerian sprinter, who won the bronze medal in the 4 x 100 m relay at the 1992 Summer Olympics and in the 200 m at the 1996 Summer Olympics. She also won the 1994 Commonwealth Games.

Onyali-Omagbemi performed especially well in the All-Africa Games, winning a total of 7 individual medals in the short sprints. She won 100 m in 1991, 1995 and 2003 and took a bronze medal in 1987. Gold medals in 200 m were taken in 1987, 1995 and 2003. Furthermore, the Nigerian 4 x 100 m relay team won all races between 1987 and 2003, at the African Games.

Born Mary Onyali, by the time of the 2000 Olympics she was known as Mary Onyali-Omagbemi, having married fellow Nigerian sprinter Victor Omagbemi.

Her consecutive Olympic appearances from 1988 to 2004 made her the first Nigerian to compete at five Olympics. This feat was equalled by table tennis players Bose Kaffo and Segun Toriola four years later in Beijing, PR China.

Personal bests

  • 100 metres – 10.97 (1993)
  • 200 metres – 22.07 (1996)
  • 400 metres – 54.21 (2000)

Achievements

Representing
1986 World Junior Championships Athens, Greece 2nd 200 m 23.30
1987 World Indoor Championships Indianapolis, United States 5th 200 m 23.56
All-Africa Games Nairobi, Kenya 3rd 100 m 11.47
1st 200 m 22.66
World Championships Rome, Italy 6th 200 m 22.52
1988 Olympic Games Seoul, South Korea semi-finals 200 m 22.43
heats 4×400 m 3:30.21
1989 World Cup Barcelona, Spain 2nd 100 m 11.23
2nd 200 m 22.82
— 4×100 m DNF
1991 World Championships Tokyo, Japan 7th 100 m 11.39
4th 4×100 m 42.77
5th 4×400 m 3:24.45
All-Africa Games Cairo, Egypt 1st 100 m 11.12
1992 Olympic Games Barcelona, Spain 7th 100 m 11.15
semi-finals 200 m 22.60
3rd 4×100 m relay 42.81
1993 World Championships Stuttgart, Germany 5th 100 m 11.05
5th 200 m 22.32
1994 Commonwealth Games Victoria, Canada 1st 100 m 11.06 s
2nd 200 m 22.35 s
1st 4×100 m relay 42.99 s
World Cup London, United Kingdom 3rd 100 m 11.52
4th 200 m 22.82
1st 4×100 m 42.92
1995 World Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 7th 100 m 11.19
6th 200 m 22.71
All-Africa Games Harare, Zimbabwe 1st 100 m 11.18 s
1st 200 m 22.75 s
1996 Olympic Games Atlanta, United States 7th 100 m 11.13
3rd 200 m 22.38
5th 4×100 m 42.56
1998 World Cup Johannesburg, South Africa 3rd 100 m 11.05
4th 4×100 m 42.91
2000 Olympic Games Sydney, Australia quarter-finals 100 m 11.40
quarter-finals 200 m 23.03
7th 4×100 m 44.05
2003 World Championships Paris, France semi-finals 100 m 11.35
semi-finals 200 m 22.97
All-Africa Games Abuja, Nigeria 1st 100 m 11.12
1st 200 m 23.09
2004 Olympic Games Athens, Greece quarter-finals 200 m 23.75