Derrick Adkins

Derrick Adkins 2013

Derrick Adkins (born July 2, 1970 in Brooklyn ) is a retired American athlete .

The winner of the 400-meter hurdles of the 1991 and 1993 student world championships took part in a major international event for the first time at the 1991 world championships . He reached the final and finished sixth. After a seventh place at the World Championships in 1993 , he made a big leap in performance in 1994. He was the first American champion in the 400 meter hurdles and repeated this in 1995. At the 1995 World Championships in Gothenburg , he won the gold medal just ahead of his big competitor of those years: Samuel Matete from Zambia .

The world champion was also the declared favorite at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta . Only the African Matete was now close to his achievements. Adkins had to admit defeat to Matete in four of five races in the run-up to the Games, but in the end luck was on his side and became Olympic champion. In 1997 he was second again at the US championships, but could not defend his title at the 1997 World Championships due to injury. Adkins now works as a track and field coach at Columbia University in New York City .

Web links

• Derrick Adkins in the Sports-Reference database (English; archived from the original )