Duan Asemota

{{Short description|Canadian sprinter (born 1996)}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Duan Asemota

| image = Duan Asemota, Abdul Hakim Sani Brown & Oblique Seville.jpg

| caption = Asemota (center) at the 2024 Summer Olympics

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|8|29|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Montreal, Quebec, Canada

| nationality = Canadian

| sport = Athletics

| event = 100 metres, 200 metres, 60 metres

| universityteam = Ohio State University

| club = Speed Academy Athletics Club / Speed with Attitude

| coach = Charles Allen

| pb =

{{ubl|

100 m: 10.03 s (London, ON 2024)

| 60 m (indoor): 6.70 s (Toronto 2025)

| 200 m: 20.95 s (Windsor, ON 2017)

}}

| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's athletics}}

{{MedalCompetition|World Relay Championships}}

{{MedalGold | 2025 Guangzhou | 4 × 100 m relay}}

}}

Duan Asemota (born August 29, 1996) is a Canadian sprinter specializing in the 100 metres. He represented Canada at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, competing in both the 100 metres and the 4 × 100 metres relay. Asemota is a multiple-time national team member and a former NCAA All-American.

Early life and education

Asemota was born in Montreal, Quebec, and raised in Ajax, Ontario. He began track and field at the age of eight but focused on sprinting during high school at Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School. Asemota was a multi-sport athlete, also playing basketball for the Durham City Bulldogs and soccer for Pickering Soccer Club. In 2014, he broke his high school's senior records in both the 100 metres and 200 metres.

After high school, Asemota attended Coffeyville Community College in Kansas, earning an associate degree before transferring to Ohio State University, where he majored in communication studies and competed in NCAA Division I track and field.

Collegiate career

At Ohio State, Asemota became a First-Team All-American, contributing to the 4×100 metre relay team's school record and second-place finish at the 2018 NCAA Championships. He also earned silver in the 100 metres at the 2018 Big Ten Championships and helped the relay team win the Big Ten title that year.

International career

Asemota made his international debut at the 2015 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships in Edmonton, Alberta. In 2016, he competed at the NACAC U23 Championships in San Salvador, running 10.87 seconds in the 100 metres preliminaries and helping Canada's 4×100 metre relay team to a fifth-place finish in 40.55 seconds.

In 2019, Asemota finished fifth in the 100 metres at the 2019 Summer Universiade in Naples.

In 2023, he placed fifth in the 100 metres at the Canadian Track and Field Championships, earning a spot on Canada's 4×100 metre relay team for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

2024 Summer Olympics

At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Asemota competed in the men's 100 metres, finishing fifth in his heat with a time of 10.17 seconds, narrowly missing advancement to the semifinals. He also participated in the 4×100 metre relay. Asemota later revealed he had been managing a torn labrum and sports hernia during the Games.{{cite web |title=De Grasse through to 100m semifinal on second day of track and field at Paris 2024 |url=https://olympic.ca/2024/08/03/de-grasse-through-to-100m-semifinal-on-second-day-of-track-and-field-at-paris-2024/ |website=Olympic.ca |date=August 3, 2024 |access-date=April 11, 2025}}

2025 Canadian Indoor Championships

In March 2025, Asemota won the men's 60 metres at the Canadian Indoor Championships in Toronto with a time of 6.70 seconds. He also anchored his club, Speed with Attitude, to gold in the 4×200 metre relay in 1:30.51, setting a new championship record.{{cite web |title=Canadian Indoor Championships |url=https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7220336 |website=World Athletics |access-date=April 11, 2025}}

Coaching

Asemota is coached by Charles Allen, a former Canadian Olympian and current Hub Coach for Sprints and Hurdles (East) with Athletics Canada.

Career highlights

class="wikitable sortable"

! Year !! Competition !! Event !! Result !! Notes

2015Pan American Junior Championships100 mDQ (false start)
2016NACAC U23 Championships100 m10.87Prelims only
2016NACAC U23 Championships4×100 m relay5th40.55 seconds
2018Big Ten Championships100 m2ndSilver medalist
2018Big Ten Championships4×100 m relay1stGold medalist, Conference record
2018NCAA Championships4×100 m relay2ndNCAA All-American
20192019 Summer Universiade100 m5thFinalist
2023Canadian Track and Field Championships100 m5thNamed to World Championships team
20232023 World Athletics Championships4×100 m relayRepresented Canada
20242024 Summer Olympics100 m5th in heat10.17 seconds
20242024 Summer Olympics4×100 m relayCompeted
2025Canadian Indoor Championships60 m1stNational Champion (6.70)
2025Canadian Indoor Championships4×200 m relay1stGold medal, Championship record

Personal bests

class="wikitable"
EventTimeWindVenueDate
100 metres10.03 s+1.9 m/sLondon, OntarioMay 26, 2024
100 metres (wind-assisted)9.98 s+3.4 m/sBaton Rouge, LouisianaApril 20, 2024
200 metres20.95 s+0.9 m/sWindsor, OntarioJune 18, 2017
60 metres (indoor)6.70 sN/AToronto, OntarioMarch 22, 2025
4×200 metres relay (indoor)1:30.51N/AToronto, OntarioMarch 22, 2025

See also

References

{{Reflist}}