Nkemdilim “Mary” Onyali-Omagbemi (née Onyali, born 3 February 1968) is a Nigerian former sprinter, she was a 5x Olympian 1988 - 2004. She had won the bronze medal in the 4 × 100 m relay at the 1992 Olympic Games and in the 200 m at the 1996 Olympic Games. She also won the 1994 Commonwealth Games 100 metres title.
 Mary Onyali-Omagbemi at the 2023 African Games in Accra, Ghana. | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 3 February 1968 |
Career
edit
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 × 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.
Competing for the Texas Southern Tigers track and field program, she won an NCAA title in the 200 metres.[1]
Her consecutive Olympic appearances from 1988 to 2004 made her the first Nigerian to compete at five Olympics.[2] This feat was equalled by table tennis players Bose Kaffo and Segun Toriola four years later in Beijing, PR China. Mary Onyali-Omagbemi currently serves as the Special Adviser (Technical) to the Director General of the National Sports Commission in Nigeria,[3] and is a part of the consultation committee for the proposed Sports University of Nigeria, Idumuje-Ugboko.
On the 21st of September 2020, she was made one of the ambassadors of the re-branded National Principal's Cup; a grassroots championship tournament that was popular across Nigeria that discovered many talents, some who were former Super Eagles stars.[4]
Achievements
edit| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  Nigeria
| |||||
| 1986 | World Junior Championships | Athens, Greece | 1st (sf)[5] | 100m | 11.42 w (wind: +2.5 m/s) |
| 2nd | 200m | 23.30 (wind: +0.6 m/s) | |||
| 3rd | 4 × 100 m relay | 44.13 | |||
| 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 |
| 2nd | 200 m | 22.35 | |||
| 1st | 4 × 100 m relay | 42.99 | |||
| 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 | |
| 1st | 200 m | 22.75 | |||
| 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 |
Personal bests
edit- 100 metres - 10.97 (1993)
- 200 metres - 22.07 (1996)
- 400 metres - 54.21 (2000)
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Mary Onyali (1996) - Texas Southern Hall of Fame". Texas Southern University Athletics. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ "Dare appoints Mary Onyali, ex-sprinter, as special adviser". TheCable. 9 October 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
- ^ "That long chat with Mary Onyali!". Vanguard Newspapers. 3 January 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
- ^ "Organisers unveil Amokachi, Dosu, Onyali ambassadors".
- ^ Disqualified in the final.
