Mary Onyali-Omagbemi

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

Personal information
Born	3 February 1968
Medal record Women's Athletics Representing  Nigeria Olympic Games 1992 Barcelona 4x100 m relay 1996 Atlanta 200 m

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.

Her consecutive Olympic appearances from 1988 to 2004 made her the first Nigerian to compete at five Olympics.[1] This feat was equalled by table tennis players Bose Kaffo and Segun Toriola four years later in Beijing, PR China.

Mary Onyali-Omagbemi and lawyer, Ned Nwoko, at the Ned Nwoko Golf Classic Tournament, Idumuje-Ugboko, Delta State, Nigeria. 20 May 2017.

Mary Onyali-Omagbemi currently serves as the Special Adviser (Technical) to the Director General of the National Sports Commission in Nigeria,[2] 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.[3]

Achievements

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing  Nigeria
1986	World Junior Championships	Athens, Greece	1st (sf)[4]	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

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

See also

• List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences
• List of athletes with the most appearances at Olympic Games

References

1. "Dare appoints Mary Onyali, ex-sprinter, as special adviser". TheCable. 9 October 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
2. "That long chat with Mary Onyali!". Vanguard Newspapers. 3 January 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
3. "Organisers unveil Amokachi, Dosu, Onyali ambassadors".
4. Disqualified in the final.

External links

• Mary Onyali-Omagbemi at World Athletics