Samuel Francis (sprinter)

{{Short description|Nigerian-born Qatari sprinter}}

{{Infobox athlete

|name = Samuel Francis

|image = Samuel Francis - 2013 World Championships in Athletics (cropped).jpg

|caption = Francis at the 2013 World Championships

|full_name = Samuel Adelebari Francis

|nationality =

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1987|03|27}}

|birth_place = Port Harcourt, Nigeria

|sport = Running

|event = Sprints

|pb =

100 m: 9.99 s (Amman 2007)

200 m: 20.61 s (Sofia 2008)

|medaltemplates =

{{MedalSport|Men's athletics}}

{{MedalCountry | {{QAT}} }}

{{MedalCompetition|Asian Championships}}

{{MedalGold|Amman 2007|100 m}}

{{MedalSilver|Amman 2007|4×100 m}}

{{MedalCompetition|Asian Indoor Games}}

{{MedalGold|Macau 2007|60 m}}

{{MedalCompetition|Asian Indoor Championships}}

{{MedalGold|Doha 2008|60 m}}

{{MedalGold|Tehran 2010|60 m}}

{{MedalGold|Hangzhou 2014|60 m}}

}}

Samuel Adelebari Francis (born 27 March 1987 in Port Harcourt) is a sprinter who specializes in the 100 metres. He was born in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, Nigeria. He is a naturalized Qatari{{cite news|url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/its-all-about-genes-says-francis-620901.html|title=It's all about genes, says Francis|agency=News18 India/PTI|date=3 July 2013|accessdate=8 October 2019}} and has competed for Qatar from July 2007. His personal best of 9.99 seconds is the former Asian record for the 100 m.{{fact|date=May 2021}}

At the 2007 Asian Championships he first set a new championship record of 10.18 seconds during the heats. In the final he ran in a new Asian record, breaking the 10-second barrier with a time of 9.99 seconds, bettering Koji Ito's mark of 10.00 seconds at the 1998 Asian Games.{{cite news|title=Asian Championships - Day Two|url=https://www.iaaf.org/news/news/asian-championships-day-two|publisher=IAAF|date=27 July 2007|accessdate=8 October 2019}} He also went on to win the silver medal as part of the 4×100 metres relay team for Qatar. At the 2007 World Championships held one month later, his goal was to reach the final.{{cite news|author=Aprameya, C.|title=Qatar's Francis aims for finals|url=http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Sports_News&subsection=Athletics&month=August2007&file=Sports_News2007082422152.xml|work=The Peninsula|date=24 August 2007|accessdate=25 August 2007|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070901163104/http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Sports_News&subsection=Athletics&month=August2007&file=Sports_News2007082422152.xml|archivedate=1 September 2007|url-status=dead}} He did not finish the race, however, exiting in the first round.

At the 2008 Olympic Games he competed at the 100 metres sprint. He also was scheduled to compete in the 200 metres sprint but did not start. However, retesting of his blood samples from the game showed he had used stanozolol, and all his results from the games were disqualified.{{cite news|url=https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-sanctions-two-athletes-for-failing-anti-doping-tests-at-beijing-2008|title=IOC sanctions two athletes for failing anti-doping tests at Beijing 2008|publisher=IOC|date=1 September 2016|accessdate=8 October 2019}}

He ran at the next major championships, the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, but though he ran one of the fastest times of the first round, he was knocked out at the quarter-finals stage.{{fact|date=May 2021}}

Francis has also competed indoors over 60 metres. At the 2007 Asian Indoor Games he won with a Games record time of 6.54 seconds. The following year at the 2008 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships he also won in championship record time. He competed at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games, but withdrew from the final due to injury, also missing the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships as a result. He rebounded soon after, winning another gold at the 2010 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in February and improving his own championship record to 6.58 seconds.