Maria Akraka
{{Short description|Swedish middle-distance runner}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Maria Akraka
| image = Maria Akraka 2012-03-13 001.jpg
| imagesize = 240px
| caption = Maria Akraka representing Intersport
| country = {{SWE}}
| fullname = Maria Helene Henriksson Akraka
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1966|7|7|df=y}}
| birth_place = London, England
| height = {{convert|1.70|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|55|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
| sport = Athletics
| event =
| club = Rånäs 4H
| retired = 2000
| collegeteam = Iowa State
| coach =
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport |Women's athletics}}
{{Medal|Country | {{SWE}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|Swedish Championships}}
{{MedalGold|1987|800 m}}
{{MedalGold|1987|4 x 800 m}}
{{MedalGold|1988|800 m}}
{{MedalGold|1988|4 x 800 m}}
{{MedalGold|1989|800 m}}
{{MedalGold|1989|4 x 800 m}}
{{MedalGold|1990|800 m}}
{{MedalSilver|1990|4 x 800 m}}
{{MedalGold|1991|800 m}}
{{MedalSilver|1991|4 x 800 m}}
{{MedalGold|1992|3,000 m}}
{{MedalGold|1993|800 m}}
{{MedalGold|1993|1,500 m}}
{{MedalGold|1993|3,000 m}}
{{MedalGold|1994|800 m}}
{{MedalGold|1994|1,500 m}}
{{MedalSilver|1995|800 m}}
{{MedalGold|1995|1,500 m}}
{{MedalSilver|1995|4 x 800 m}}
{{MedalGold|1998|4 x 800 m}}
}}
Maria Helene Henriksson Akraka (born July 7, 1966) is a Swedish retired entrepreneur, television host and former athlete.
College career
Akraka competed as an athlete in both cross country and track & field for Iowa State in the United States. She finished her career a four-time All-American and a two-time Big Eight champion.{{Cite web|url=http://cyclones.com/news/2013/2/25/206511960.aspx|title=Black History Month: Maria Akraka - Iowa State University|website=Iowa State University|language=en|access-date=2018-01-24}}
In 2010 she was inducted into the Iowa State Cyclones Hall of Fame.{{Cite web|url=http://cyclones.com/hof.aspx?hof=8|title=Iowa State Athletics|website=cyclones.com|language=en|access-date=2018-01-24}}
International career
Akraka competed in four European Championships,{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-10-02-sp-1816-story.html|title=In the Long Run, Swedish Track Star Competes to Stay in Shape : Cross-country: For Maria Akraka, running with UC Irvine's team is preparing her for spring and a shot at an NCAA title at 800 meters.|last=NORWOOD|first=ROBYN|date=1990-10-02|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2018-01-24|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035}} three World Championships, and the 1992 Olympic Games in both the 1,500 m and 800 m races.{{Cite news|url=https://www.olympic.org/maria-akraka|title=Maria AKRAKA - Olympic Athletics {{!}} Sweden|date=2016-06-14|work=International Olympic Committee|access-date=2018-01-24|language=en}}
Post-athletics career
Akraka worked previously as a host of betting company ATG's channel, Channel 75, where she interviewed Horse racing jockeys. She also worked for TV4 covering horse racing. In 2006, she started working for SVT, hosting extreme sports game show Megadrom{{cite web|url=http://www.gotland.net/sv/bo-leva/arkiv/2004/sunneborn-i-sportsapa-i-svt |title=Sunneborn i sportsåpa i SVT | Gotland.net |access-date=2010-06-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100823123050/http://www.gotland.net/sv/bo-leva/arkiv/2004/sunneborn-i-sportsapa-i-svt |archive-date=2010-08-23 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.sydsvenskan.se/kultur-och-nojen/article59216/SVT-Malmo-satsar-pa-extremsport.html |title=SVT Malmö satsar på extremsport - Kultur & Nöjen - Sydsvenskan - Nyheter dygnet runt |access-date=2010-06-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005171923/http://www.sydsvenskan.se/kultur-och-nojen/article59216/SVT-Malmo-satsar-pa-extremsport.html |archive-date=2011-10-05 }} and also covered various sports competitions such as the Olympics and DN Galan.{{cite web|url=http://hd.se/familj/2006/07/06/maria_akraka_jag_saknar_inte/ |title=Hd.se - Maria Akraka "Jag saknar inte träningsslitet" |access-date=2007-07-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930155054/http://hd.se/familj/2006/07/06/maria_akraka_jag_saknar_inte/ |archive-date=2007-09-30 }}
In 2009, she and her husband bought an estate with an equestrian training stable in 2009. She now spends much of her time training race horses.{{Cite news|url=http://www.plyhm.se/blog/mountain-horses-stjarnor-till-globen/|title=Mountain Horse's Stjärnor till Globen - Plyhm Kommunikation|date=2010-11-22|work=Plyhm Kommunikation|access-date=2018-01-24|language=sv-SE}}
Currently she serves as an advisory for sporting goods retailer, Intersport{{cite web |url=http://www.market.se/Brancher/Sport-fritid/Maria-Akraka-ska-locka-kvinnor-till-Intersport/ |title=Maria Akraka ska locka kvinnor till Intersport - Market |access-date=2010-06-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029204343/http://www.market.se/Brancher/Sport-fritid/Maria-Akraka-ska-locka-kvinnor-till-Intersport/ |archive-date=2013-10-29 }} and the founder/CEO of Sportcore, a career agency for former professional athletes.
Personal bests
| class="wikitable" | |||
| Surface
! Event ! Time ! Date ! Place | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan=7| Outdoor
| 400 m | 54:50 | 20 August 1988 | Malmö, Sweden |
| 800 m | 2:00:58 | 8 August 1991 | Lahti, Finland |
| 1,000 m | 2:38:30 | 25 July 1995 | Monaco |
| 1,500 m | 4:08:63 | 19 August 1994 | Brussels, Belgium |
| 1 mile | 4:32:04 | 10 September 1993 | London, England |
| 2,000 m | 5:47:76 | 4 September 1994 | Sheffield, England |
| 3,000 m | 9:04:35 | 28 August 1994 | Stockholm, Sweden |
| colspan="6" style="background:#e6e6e6;"| | |||
| rowspan=2| Indoor
| 800 m | 2:00:01NR | 19 February 1998 | Stockholm, Sweden |
| 1,500 m | 4:07:74 | 18 February 1992 | Genoa, Italy |
| colspan="6" style="background:#e6e6e6;"| | |||
| rowspan=1| Road
| 1 mile | 4:29.0h | 1 February 1998 | Santee, CA, USA |
| colspan="5" style="font-size:8pt; text-align:center;"|Reference: |
Personal life
Akraka is married to former triple jumper Tord Henriksson and they have two children.{{Cite news|url=http://www.gp.se/sport/paret-som-kommer-igen-1.1136529|title=Paret som kommer igen|work=Göteborgs-Posten|access-date=2018-01-24|language=sv}}
Akraka was born in London to a Swedish mother and a Nigerian father.{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/5557936-Maria-Akraka|title=Maria Akraka|website=Discogs|language=en|access-date=2018-01-24}} The family moved to Sweden but her parents separated and her father moved back to Nigeria. She was raised by her mother in Rågsved outside Stockholm. Her father Smart Akraka is a former track and field athlete who competed in the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.{{Cite news|url=https://www.makingofchamps.com/2016/06/09/afn-mourn-akraka-keshi/|title=AFN mourn Smart Akraka, Stephen Keshi {{!}} MAKING OF CHAMPIONS|date=2016-06-09|work=MAKING OF CHAMPIONS|access-date=2018-01-24|language=en-US}} She has a twin brother, Michael.
References
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
External links
- {{World Athletics||name=Maria Akraka}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Akraka, Maria}}
Category:Swedish people of Nigerian descent
Category:Swedish female middle-distance runners
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1992 Summer Olympics