Dele Udo

Born in Nigeria in 1957, Dele Udo later moved to the United States where he began a promising track and field career at the University of Missouri. In the 1970s Udo was a collegiate champion at the University, holding several university and NCAA records. He represented Nigeria at international competitions, winning gold in the 4 x 400 metres relay and silver in the 400 metres at the 1978 All-Africa Games in Algeria. One year later he won another silver in the relay at the African Athletics Championships in Senegal.

In 1976 Udo was selected to compete in the 4 x 400 metres relay at the Montréal Olympics. Due to the African-led boycott of the Games, however, Nigeria ultimately did not participate in Montréal. Four years later Udo did get his chance to represent Nigeria at the Olympics when he ran in the 400 metres and 4 x 400 metres relay at the Moskva Games, reaching the semi-finals of the former.

Udo was then the centre of a bizarre story when the Ghanian track athlete Charles Moses had claimed to have run in the 400 metres at the Moskva Games using the Nigerian athlete’s name. Moses stated that he had represented Ghana, despite the nation boycotting the Games, with him eventually confessing to having fabricated the whole story.

Less than a year after competing in Moskva, Udo’s promising career was tragically cut short when he was shot dead. He and his companions had left their training session in the city to go out for dinner. After being stopped by a police officer at a checkpoint in Lagos an argument ensued, resulting in the athlete being shot. Udo was only 24-years-old.

Personal Best: 400 – 45.37 (1976).