Frankie Fredericks

Namibia’s Frankie Fredericks made history as the first and only Namibian to win Olympic and World Championship medals. He is a three-time Olympian with four Olympic silver medals in the 100m and 200m in 1992 in Barcelona, and in 1996 in Atlanta. He finished fourth in the 200m in 2004 in Athens, where he was also eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 100m. The 1993 World champion over 200m, Fredericks also won 200m World silver medals in 1991, 1995 and 1997. At the World Indoor Championships, Fredericks won two medals (200m gold in 1999, 60m silver in 1993) and four medals at the All-Africa Games (100m and 200m gold in 1991, 200m silver in 2003, 100m bronze in 1999). A two-time Commonwealth Games 200m champion (1994, 2002), Fredericks also won a 100m silver in 1998, and a bronze in 1994.

Fredericks is the world indoor record-holder for 200m, running 19.92 seconds in 1996. He is the oldest man to have broken 20 seconds for the 200m when, on 12 July 2002 in Rome, he won the 200m in 19.99 seconds at the age of 34 years, 283 days.

With a focus on education, Fredericks did not dream of achieving great sporting success and, during the mid-1980s, he was a top football goal-scorer for one of Namibia’s top sides, Black Africa, puzzling and exhausting defenders who could not keep up with him. The soft-spoken, easy-going Fredericks, who was born in Windhoek, South West Africa (before Namibia’s Independence), was the only child born to Riekie Fredericks and Andries Kangootui. He accepted a track scholarship to Brigham Young University (BYU) in Utah, USA, relieving his poor parents of the financial burden of paying for his education, and he graduated with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in computer science, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA). In 1991, Fredericks became the first sprinter outside the USA to win the 100m and 200m at the American collegiate championships (NCAA).

Always active in the administration of sport, Fredericks was involved at the highest levels with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Associations of Athletics Federations (IAAF), World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and head of Namibia Athletics.

Personal Bests: 100 – 9.86 (1996); 200 – 19.68 (1996).