View source for Abi Oyepitan

{{Short description|British sprinter}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Abi Oyepitan
| image = Abiodun Oyepitan 2012.jpg
| imagesize = 200px
| caption = Oyepitan at the 2012 Summer Olympics
| full_name = Abiodun Adesola Oyepitan
| nationality = British (English)
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1979|12|30}}
| birth_place = London, England
| sport = Women's [[athletics (sport)|athletics]]
| event = [[100 metres]], [[200 metres]]
| medaltemplates =
{{Medal|Country | {{ENG}} }}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Commonwealth Games]]}}
{{Medal|Gold | [[2010 Commonwealth Games|2010 Delhi]] | [[Athletics at the 2010 Commonwealth Games – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay|4×100&nbsp;m relay]]}}
{{Medal|Silver | [[2010 Commonwealth Games|2010 Delhi]] | [[Athletics at the 2010 Commonwealth Games – Women's 200 metres|200&nbsp;m]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze | [[2002 Commonwealth Games|2002 Manchester]] | [[Athletics at the 2002 Commonwealth Games – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay|4×100&nbsp;m relay]]}}
{{Medal|Country | {{GBR2}} }}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Summer Universiade|Universiade]]}}
{{Medal|Gold | [[2001 Summer Universiade|2001 Beijing]] | [[Athletics at the 2001 Summer Universiade – Women's 100 metres|100&nbsp;m]]}}
}}

'''Abiodun Adesola "Abi" Oyepitan''' (born 30 December 1979) is a British [[Sprint (running)|sprint]] athlete, who specialises in the [[100 metres|100]] and [[200 metres]]. She won the 100&nbsp;m at the [[2001 Summer Universiade]] and at the [[2002 Commonwealth Games]] she took a bronze medal with the [[4 x 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m]] team. She became the first British female to reach an [[Summer Olympics|Olympic]] final in a sprint event since [[Kathy Cook]].<ref>Rowbottom, Mike (26 August 2004) [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20040826/ai_n12797150/ The Olympics 2004; Athletics: Oyepitan lone light as British] ''[[The Independent]]'' Retrieved on 12 May 2009</ref> However, following her performance in the [[2004 Athens Olympics]], she suffered an injury, which all but brought her career to a halt.<br />She made a winning comeback in 2010, competing in the [[2010 IAAF Diamond League|Diamond League]] and winning a silver medal for England at the [[2010 Commonwealth Games|Commonwealth Games in Delhi]] in the 200&nbsp;m and a gold medal when she anchored the 4 × 100 m relay team to a win.

==Early career==
Oyepitan was born in [[City of Westminster|Westminster]], London to [[Nigerian]] parents. Her name "Adesola" means "crowned with wealth" in [[Yoruba language|Yoruba]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.onlinenigeria.com/nigeriannames/ad.asp?blurb=328&topic=Adesola|title=Adesola|website=Online Nigeria: Nigerian Names and Meanings|accessdate=June 24, 2015}}</ref> She attended [[Bentley Wood High School]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=My Sport: Abi Oyepitan|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/athletics/2341477/My-Sport-Abi-Oyepitan.html|access-date=2021-02-16|website=The Telegraph|date=25 July 2006 |language=en-GB}}</ref> A member of the [[Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers]], her first outing to a major athletics came at the 1998 [[World Junior Athletics Championships]], where she finished fourth as part of the British 4&nbsp;x&nbsp;100&nbsp;m relay team. She continued to perform well at the junior level, but her progress was interrupted in 2000 by an injury. She managed to bounce back the following year, with her comeback including a silver medal at the European under-23 Championships.

She was again part of the 4&nbsp;x&nbsp;100&nbsp;m relay squad at the [[2001 World Championships in Athletics|2001 World Championships]]. Although the squad came away empty handed, they set the second fastest time ever by a British squad. She went on to take gold at the [[World Student Games]] that same year.

In 2002, Oyepitan represented the [[England at the 2002 Commonwealth Games|England Commonwealth Games team]] and made the 100 metres final of the [[2002 Commonwealth Games]] in Manchester and improved on this in the relay by taking silver behind an Australian team.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/manchester-2002/athletes |title=Manchester 2002 Team |website=Team England |access-date=6 April 2025 }}</ref> She also made the final of the [[European Athletics Championships]], where [[Ekaterini Thanou]] took the gold.

She continued to improve and in 2003 broke her 200&nbsp;m personal best in becoming the [[List of British champions in 200 metres|British 200 metres champion]] after winning the British [[AAA Championships]] title at the [[2003 AAA Championships]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000578/20030728/590/0027 |title=Athletics |work=Aberdeen Press and Journal |date=28 July 2003 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=6 April 2025}}</ref>

In 2004, at a meeting in [[Kalamata]], Greece, in May, Oyepitan won the 100&nbsp;m, then beat the reigning European Champion [[Muriel Hurtis]] in the 200&nbsp;m.<ref>Nikitaridis, Michalis (29 May 2004) [http://www.iaaf.org/news/kind=100/newsid=25410.html Double win for Abi Oyepitan in Kalamata EAA Permit Meeting]. [[IAAF]] Retrieved on 11 July 2009</ref> Then Oyepitan won the [[List of British champions in 100 metres|British 100 metres title]] at the [[2004 AAA Championships]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/index.htm |title=AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists |website=National Union of Track Statisticians |access-date=6 April 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/waaa.htm |title=AAA Championships (women) |website=GBR Athletics |access-date=6 April 2025 }}</ref>

==2004 Athens Olympics==
At the [[2004 Summer Olympics]] Oyepitan did not make the [[Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metres|100&nbsp;m]] final. Running in the faster of the two semi-finals, she finished fifth in her heat with a time of 11.18&nbsp;s, that equalled [[LaTasha Colander]]'s fourth placed time that saw her through in the second semi.

In the [[Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's 200 metres|200&nbsp;m]] Oyepitan set a personal best in the first round, then comfortably progressed through round two and the semi-final, finishing second in both to [[Allyson Felix]]. She was passed early on in the final by eventual winner [[Veronica Campbell]] and eventually finished joint 7th, but happy with her overall performance.<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/olympics/london_2012/article474478.ece Oyepitan, brave but ultimately bowed]{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}. ''[[The Times]]'' (25 August 2004) Retrieved on 12 May 2009</ref>

Her appearance in the 200&nbsp;m final was the first women's Olympic sprint final (100 + 200&nbsp;m) to feature a Briton since [[Kathy Smallwood-Cook]] at the [[1984 Summer Olympics|Los Angeles Olympics]] twenty years previously. She was also the only Briton to reach the sprint finals, all of the men failing for the first time in twenty-eight years, despite later going on to win the 4 × 100 m relay.

==After 2004==
Following the Olympics, a [[stress fracture]] injury caused her to miss the 2005 athletics season. She returned to the track in 2006, but the injury continued to limit her performances.<ref>[http://www.european-athletics.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7500&Itemid=2 The Road to Kaunas: How the women's class of 2001 fared as seniors]{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. [[European Athletics]] (9 July 2009) Retrieved on 11 July 2009</ref>

In 2010, she returned to take silver in the 200&nbsp;m and a gold in the 4&nbsp;x&nbsp;100&nbsp;m relay at the [[Athletics at the 2010 Commonwealth Games|Commonwealth Games in Delhi]].

==2012 London Olympics ==
In 2012, Oyepitan came 2nd in the Oslo leg of the Diamond League 200&nbsp;m Women in 22.71s. She then qualified for 2012 Olympics in London, where she competed in the 100&nbsp;m and 200&nbsp;m, making the semi-finals in both events.

In 2014, she announced her retirement.

==National titles==
*AAAs (of England) National 100 metres Champion – 2004 (2nd in 2002, 2003)
*AAAs National 200 metres Champion – 2003 (2nd in 2004)

==International competitions==
{| {{AchievementTable|Event=yes}}
|-
!colspan="6"|Representing {{GBR2}}
|-
|1998
|[[1998 World Junior Championships in Athletics|World Junior Championships]]
|[[Annecy]], [[France]]
|4th
|4 × 100 m relay
|[[1998 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay|44.65]]
|-
|1999
|[[1999 European Athletics U23 Championships|European U23 Championships]]
|[[Gothenburg]], [[Sweden]]
|18th (h)
|100m
|[[1999 European Athletics U23 Championships – Women's 100 metres|25.00]] <small>(wind: -0.2&nbsp;m/s)</small>
|-
|rowspan=3|2001
|[[Athletics at the 2001 Summer Universiade|World Student Games]]
|[[Beijing]], China
|bgcolor="gold"|1st
|100&nbsp;m
|11.42
|-
|rowspan=2|[[2001 European Athletics U23 Championships|European U23 Championships]]
|rowspan=2|[[Amsterdam]], [[Netherlands]]
|bgcolor=silver|2nd
|100m
|[[2001 European Athletics U23 Championships – Women's 100 metres|11.58]] <small>(wind: -1.2&nbsp;m/s)</small>
|-
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|4 × 100 m relay
|[[2001 European Athletics U23 Championships – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay|44.31]]
|-
|rowspan=2|2004
|rowspan=2|[[2004 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]
|rowspan=2|[[Athens, Greece]]
|semi-final
|100 m
|[[Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metres|11.18]]
|-
|7th
|200 m
|[[Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's 200 metres|22.87]]
|-
|rowspan=2|2012
|rowspan=2|[[2012 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]
|rowspan=2|[[London]], England
|semi-final
|100 m
|[[Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metres|11.36]]
|-
|semi-final
|200 m
|[[Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's 200 metres|23.14]]
|-
!colspan="6"|Representing {{ENG}}
|-
|2002
|[[Athletics at the 2002 Commonwealth Games|Commonwealth Games]]
|[[Manchester]], England
|bgcolor="cc9966"|3rd
|4×100&nbsp;m relay
|[[Athletics at the 2002 Commonwealth Games – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay|42.84]]
|-
|rowspan=2|2010
|rowspan=2|[[Athletics at the 2010 Commonwealth Games|Commonwealth Games]]
|rowspan=2|[[Delhi]], India
|bgcolor="silver"|2nd
|200&nbsp;m
|[[Athletics at the 2010 Commonwealth Games – Women's 200 metres|23.26]]
|-
|bgcolor="gold"|1st
|4×100&nbsp;m relay
|[[Athletics at the 2010 Commonwealth Games – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay|44.19]]
|}

===Personal bests===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Event
! Best
! Location 
! Date
|-
| [[60 metres]]
| 7.27 s
| [[Glasgow]], Scotland
| 24 January 2004
|-
| [[100 metres]]
| 11.17 s
| [[Birmingham]], England
| 23 July 2004
|-
| [[200 metres]]
| 22.50 s
| [[Athens]], Greece
| 23 August 2004
|}
*<small>All information taken from IAAF profile.</small><ref>[http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/biographies/country=0/athcode=173509/index.html Oyepitan Abiodun biography] [[IAAF]] Retrieved on 12 May 2009</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{World Athletics||Abiodun Oyepitan}}
* {{Olympics.com profile|abiodun-oyepitan|Abiodun Oyepitan|org_archive=20160924100933}}
* {{CGF profile|name=Abiodun Oyepitan}}
* {{Team GB}} ([https://web.archive.org/web/20100225140104/http://www.olympics.org.uk/athletebio.aspx?at=5577 archive])
* {{Olympedia}}

{{Footer U23 European Champions 4x100m Women}}
{{Footer Universiade Champions 100m Women}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oyepitan, Abiodun}}
[[Category:1979 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Westminster]]
[[Category:Athletes from the City of Westminster]]
[[Category:English women sprinters]]
[[Category:British women sprinters]]
[[Category:Olympic women sprinters]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for Great Britain]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for England]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for England]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for England]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in athletics]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists in athletics]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists in athletics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2002 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2010 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:FISU World University Games gold medalists for Great Britain]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2001 Summer Universiade]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Great Britain]]
[[Category:British Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:AAA Championships winners]]
[[Category:Black British sportswomen]]
[[Category:English people of Nigerian descent]]
[[Category:Sportspeople of Nigerian descent]]
[[Category:People educated at Bentley Wood High School]]
[[Category:Alumni of Brunel University London]]
[[Category:English people of Yoruba descent]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 2002 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 2010 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:21st-century English sportswomen]]