View source for Frankie Fredericks

{{Short description|Namibian sprinter (born 1967)}}
{{redirect|Frank Fredericks|the founder of World Faith|Frank Fredericks (musician)}}
{{EngvarB|date=May 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Frank Fredericks
| image = Osaka07 Opening Flag Stars (cropped).jpg
| imagesize = 200px
| caption = Fredericks in 2007
| nationality = Namibian
| sport = Track and field
| event = [[100 metres]], [[200 metres]]
| club =
| collegeteam = [[BYU Cougars]]
| birth_date ={{Birth date and age|df=yes|1967|10|2}}
| birth_place =[[Windhoek]], [[South West Africa]]
| residence =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height = 180&nbsp;cm
| weight = {{convert|73|kg|lb st|abbr=on}}
| medaltemplates =
{{Medal|Sport | Men's athletics}}
{{Medal|Country | {{NAM}} }}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
{{Medal|Silver| [[1992 Summer Olympics|1992 Barcelona]] | [[Athletics at the 1992 Summer Olympics - Men's 100 metres|100 m]]}}
{{Medal|Silver| [[1992 Summer Olympics|1992 Barcelona]] | [[Athletics at the 1992 Summer Olympics - Men's 200 metres|200 m]]}}
{{Medal|Silver| [[1996 Summer Olympics|1996 Atlanta]] | [[Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metres|100 m]]}}
{{Medal|Silver| [[1996 Summer Olympics|1996 Atlanta]] | [[Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metres|200 m]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[IAAF World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Gold |[[1993 World Championships in Athletics|1993 Stuttgart]]|[[1993 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 200 metres|200 m]]}}
{{Medal|Silver |[[1991 World Championships in Athletics|1991 Tokyo]]|[[1991 World Championships in Athletics - Men's 200 metres|200 m]]}}
{{Medal|Silver |[[1995 World Championships in Athletics|1995 Gothenburg]]|[[1995 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 200 metres|200 m]]}}
{{Medal|Silver |[[1997 World Championships in Athletics|1997 Athens]]|[[1997 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 200 metres|200 m]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics|World Indoor Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Gold |[[1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships|1999 Maebashi]]|[[1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Men's 200 metres|200 m]]}}
{{Medal|Silver |[[1993 IAAF World Indoor Championships|1993 Toronto]]|60 m}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[All-Africa Games]]}}
{{Medal|Gold |[[1991 All-Africa Games|1991 Cairo]]|[[Athletics at the 1991 All-Africa Games|100 m]]}}
{{Medal|Gold |[[1991 All-Africa Games|1991 Cairo]]|[[Athletics at the 1991 All-Africa Games|200 m]]}}
{{Medal|Silver|[[2003 All-Africa Games|2003 Abuja]]|[[Athletics at the 2003 All-Africa Games|200 m]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze|[[1999 All-Africa Games|1999 Johannesburg]]|[[Athletics at the 1999 All-Africa Games|100 m]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Commonwealth Games]]}}
{{Medal|Gold |[[1994 Commonwealth Games|1994 Victoria]]|[[Athletics at the 1994 Commonwealth Games|200 m]]}}
{{Medal|Gold |[[2002 Commonwealth Games|2002 Manchester]]|[[Athletics at the 2002 Commonwealth Games – Men's 200 metres|200 m]]}}
{{Medal|Silver|[[1998 Commonwealth Games|1998 Kuala Lumpur]]|[[Athletics at the 1998 Commonwealth Games|100 m]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze|[[1994 Commonwealth Games|1994 Victoria]]|[[Athletics at the 1994 Commonwealth Games|100 m]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Goodwill Games]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze|[[1994 Goodwill Games|1994 Saint Petersburg]]|[[Athletics at the 1994 Goodwill Games|200 m]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[African Championships in Athletics]]}}
{{Medal|Gold |[[1998 African Championships in Athletics|1998 Dakar]]|[[1998 African Championships in Athletics|200 m]]}}
{{Medal|Gold |[[2002 African Championships in Athletics|2002 Tunis]]|[[2002 African Championships in Athletics|100 m]]}}
{{Medal|Gold |[[2002 African Championships in Athletics|2002 Tunis]]|[[2002 African Championships in Athletics|200 m]]}}
{{Medal|Silver |[[1998 African Championships in Athletics|1998 Dakar]]|[[1998 African Championships in Athletics|100 m]]}}
{{Medal|Country |[[File:Africa (orthographic projection).svg|20px]] [[Confederation of African Athletics|Africa]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[IAAF Continental Cup|World Cup]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[1998 IAAF World Cup|1998 Johannesburg]]|200&nbsp;m}}
{{Medal|Silver|[[1994 IAAF World Cup|1994 London]]|200&nbsp;m}}
{{Medal|Silver|[[2002 IAAF World Cup|2002 Madrid]]|200&nbsp;m}}
{{Medal|Bronze|1998 Johannesburg|4 × 100 m relay}}
{{Medal|Bronze|2002 Madrid|4 × 100 m relay}}
}}
'''Frank "Frankie" Fredericks''' (born 2 October 1967) is a former track and field athlete from [[Namibia]]. Running in the [[100 metres]] and [[200 metres]], he won four silver medals at the [[Summer Olympic Games|Olympic Games]] (two in [[1992 Summer Olympics|1992]] and two in [[1996 Summer Olympics|1996]]), making him Namibia's only Olympic medalist until [[Christine Mboma]]'s silver medal at the [[2020 Summer Olympics|2020 Olympics]] in Tokyo. He also won gold medals at the [[IAAF World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]], [[IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics|World Indoor Championships]], [[All-Africa Games]] and [[Commonwealth Games]]. He is the [[List of world records in athletics#Indoor world records|world indoor record]]-holder for 200 metres, with a time of 19.92 seconds set in 1996.

Fredericks has broken 20 seconds for the 200 metres 24 times. He also holds the joint-third-fastest non-winning time for the 200 metres. In August 1996, Fredericks ran 19.68 seconds in the Olympic final in [[Atlanta]], [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]].

He is also the oldest man to have broken 20 seconds for the 200 metres. On 12 July 2002 in Rome, Fredericks won the 200 metres in a time of 19.99 seconds at the age of 34 years 283 days. He is currently serving as a council member in the [[IAAF]].

On 3 March 2017, Fredericks was implicated in the IAAF corruption scandal, stemming from a large cash payment he received in 2009. The investigation is still to be concluded.

==Education and early life==
Fredericks was born in [[Windhoek]], the only child of Riekie Fredericks, a seamstress, and Andries Kangootui, a farmer. He grew up in the city's [[Katutura]] township, his parents splitting up while he was little. In 1981 he switched to the Catholic school at [[Döbra, Namibia|Döbra]] to play competitive soccer. When he received a scholarship to complete his [[matric]] at [[Concordia College (Namibia)|Concordia College]] Fredericks took up athletics because the soccer was not strong at Concordia. He still played for [[Black Africa S.C.|Black Africa]], one of the country's top teams.<ref name=gentleman>{{Cite news | title=A gentleman and a scholar | last=Mackay | first=Duncan | newspaper=[[The Observer]] | date=21 July 2002 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/observer/osm/story/0,,756917,00.html}}</ref>

After school, he took up work at [[Rössing Uranium]] Ltd. in [[Swakopmund]] and soon got a partial scholarship at [[Brigham Young University]] in the US in 1987.<ref name=where>{{Cite news | title=Where are they now? Ex-sprinter Fredericks elevates from Olympiad to business executive | last=Angula | first=Conrad | newspaper=[[The Namibian]] | date=6 November 2020 | pages=30, 32 | url=https://www.namibian.com.na/96272/read/Where-are-they-now-Ex-sprinter-Fredericks-elevates-from-Olympiad-to-business-executive }}{{Dead link|date=May 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> There he studied computer science and graduated with an [[MBA]].<ref>{{Cite web | title=About Us - Frank Fredericks Foundation | publisher=Frank Fredericks Foundation | url=https://fredericksfoundation.com/about/ | access-date=7 November 2020}}</ref>

During his college career, Fredericks earned numerous [[All-American]] citations and won three [[NCAA]] championships.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://byucougars.com/athlete/m-track-field/frank-fredericks |title=BYU Cougars: Frank Fredericks Athlete Profile |access-date=18 August 2012 |archive-date=13 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111113234516/http://byucougars.com/athlete/m-track-field/frank-fredericks |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Athletics career===
In 1990, after his country had become independent of South Africa, Fredericks could participate in international competition. At the World Championships in 1991, Fredericks won a silver medal in the 200 m, finishing behind [[Michael Johnson (athlete)|Michael Johnson]], and placed 5th in the 100 m. He then went on to The following year, at the [[Barcelona]] [[1992 Summer Olympics]], Fredericks became [[Namibia]]'s first Olympic medalist when he finished second in both the 100 m and 200 m. He won the silver medal in the men's 100-metre dash, with a time of 10.02 seconds, just .06 seconds behind the gold medal winner. In 1993, in [[Stuttgart]], he became the nation's first World Champion, winning the 200 m. At the [[1994 Commonwealth Games]], he won gold in the 200 m and bronze in the 100 m. His time of 19.97&nbsp;seconds in the 200 metres is the current [[List of Commonwealth Games records in athletics|Commonwealth Games record]]. At the 1995 World Championships 100 m, after crossing the line he immediately went to help his friend [[Linford Christie]] who pulled a muscle in the race and signalled for help. This act of kindness endeared him to many (particularly British) athletics fans.

For the [[1996 Summer Olympics]], Fredericks was among the title favourites for both the 100 m and 200 m. He reached both finals and again finished second in both. In the 100 m, he was beaten by [[Donovan Bailey]], who set a new World Record, and in the 200 m, he was beaten by [[Michael Johnson (athlete)|Michael Johnson]], who also set a new World Record. At the time, Fredericks's second-place run was the third-fastest in history, beaten only by Johnson (twice). At the [[1998 Commonwealth Games]] in Kuala Lumpur, [[Malaysia]], Frankie once again missed out on the chance of gold in the 100 m; he was beaten by [[Ato Boldon]] of [[Trinidad and Tobago]].

Suffering from injuries, Fredericks had to withdraw from the 1999 and 2001 World Championships, and the [[2000 Summer Olympics]]. When he arrived in [[Abuja]] to represent [[Namibia at the 2003 All-Africa Games]], he was lauded by Nigerian supporters and came away with a silver medal.<ref>{{cite web|title=Two more Games records in Abuja – African Games – Day THREE|website=worldathletics.org|url=https://www.worldathletics.org/news/news/two-more-games-records-in-abuja-african-gam|date=14 October 2003|access-date=2 May 2020}}</ref><ref name=athletics>{{cite web|first=Todor|last=Krastev|title=Athletics All Africa Games Abuja (NGR) 2003|url=http://www.todor66.com/Africa_Games//2003/Athletics/index.html|date=23 February 2011|website=Todor66|access-date=2 May 2020}}</ref> He then went on to win the 200&nbsp;m at the [[2003 Afro-Asian Games|inaugural Afro-Asian Games]] in 2003. In the 200&nbsp;m final at the [[2004 Summer Olympics]], he finished 4th.

After the end of the 2004 outdoor season, Fredericks retired from competition. He had run the 100 m under 10 seconds 27 times.<ref>Tonchi, Victor L., William A. Lindeke, and John J. Grotpeter, "Fredericks, Frankie (1967- )" Historical Dictionary of Namibia. 2nd edition. Toronto: The Scarecrow Press, Inc, p. 129.</ref>
====Personal bests====

* All information taken from athlete's World Athletics profile.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Frank FREDERICKS {{!}} Profile {{!}} World Athletics |url=https://worldathletics.org/athletes/namibia/frank-fredericks-14213565 |access-date=2024-11-27 |website=worldathletics.org}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Category
! Distance
! Performance
! Wind
! Location
! Date
|-
! rowspan="3" |Outdoor
| [[100 metres]]
| 9.86
| – 0.4&nbsp;m/s
| [[Lausanne]]
| 3 July 1996
|-
| [[200 metres]]
| 19.68
| + 0.4&nbsp;m/s
| [[Atlanta]]
| 1 August 1996
|-
| [[400 metres]]
| 46.28
|
| [[Tempe, Arizona|Tempe]]
| 25 March 1989
|-
! rowspan="6" |Indoor
|[[50 metres]]
|5.77
|
|[[Liévin]]
|24 February 2002
|-
|[[60 metres]]
|6.51
|
|[[Toronto]]
|12 March 1993
|-
|[[100 metres]]
|10.05
|
|[[Tampere]]
|12 February 1996
|-
|[[200 metres]] [[Image:Sport records icon WR.svg|22px|World Record]]
|19.92
|
|[[Liévin]]
|18 February 1996
|-
|[[300 metres]]
|32.36
|
|[[Karlsruhe]]
|28 February 2003
|-
|[[Long jump]]
|7.57 m
|
|[[Colorado Springs, Colorado|Colorado Springs]]
|22 February 1991
|}

==IOC career==
In 2004 Fredericks became a [[List of members of the International Olympic Committee|member of the International Olympic Committee]]. In 2009 Fredericks became the head of the Athletics Namibia in a controversial leadership contest.<ref>Tonchi, Victor L., William A. Lindeke, and John J. Grotpeter, "Frederics, Frankie (1967- )" Historical Dictionary of Namibia. 2nd edition. Toronto: The Scarecrow Press, Inc, p. 129.</ref> In 2012 Fredericks was nominated to be a [[List of members of the International Olympic Committee|member of the International Olympic Committee]].

Frank Fredericks is a member of the 'Champions for Peace' club, a group of 54 famous elite athletes committed to serving peace in the world through sport, created by [[Peace and Sport]], a Monaco-based international organisation.

===Bribery investigation===
On 3 March 2017, French newspaper ''[[Le Monde]]'' reported<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.lemonde.fr/sport/article/2017/03/03/quand-frankie-fredericks-empochait-299-300-dollars-le-jour-ou-rio-obtenait-les-jo_5088559_3242.html|title=Le jour où Rio obtenait les JO, Frank Fredericks empochait 299 300 dollars|last=Bouchez|first=Yann|date=2017-03-03|work=Le Monde|access-date=2017-03-06|language=fr|issn=1950-6244}}</ref> that Fredericks had received US$299,300 from Pamodzi Sports Consulting, a company owned by Papa Massata Diack (the son of disgraced former IAAF head [[Lamine Diack]], who is currently facing corruption charges in France). The payment went to Yemi Limited, a company set up by Fredericks in Seychelles, a [[tax haven]], and was made on 2 Oct. 2009, the same day as Rio was announced as the winning bid for the 2016 Olympics. Fredericks has denied that the payment has anything to do with the Olympic bid, but instead says it was fees paid for consulting services he provided for "relay championships" and marketing programs related to African championships and other IAAF programs.

When the allegation was made Fredericks was the chair of the 2024 Olympic bid evaluation committee.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.olympic.org/evaluation-commission|title=Evaluation Commission|date=2017-01-27|work=International Olympic Committee|access-date=2017-03-06|language=en}}</ref> On 6 March 2017, Fredericks stepped down from his position in the IAAF task force that is evaluating if or when to re-admit Russia's national sports body [[All-Russia Athletic Federation|RusAF]] after a widespread doping scandal.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2017/03/07/more-sports/track-field/fredericks-resigns-iaaf-task-force/#.WL7xUH-bizI|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170308133615/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2017/03/07/more-sports/track-field/fredericks-resigns-iaaf-task-force/#.WL7xUH-bizI|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 March 2017|title=Fredericks resigns from IAAF task force|newspaper=The Japan Times|date=7 March 2017|access-date=7 March 2017}}</ref> On 7 March 2017, the Ethics Commission of the IOC recommended a provisional suspension of Fredericks from his IOC-related duties.<ref>[https://stillmed.olympic.org/media/Document%20Library/OlympicOrg/IOC/Who-We-Are/Commissions/Ethics/Decisions/IOC-Ethics-Decision-Recommendation-Fredericks-2017.pdf DECISION OF RECOMMENDATION TO THE IOC EXECUTIVE BOARD] Decision N° 2017/1 vom 7. März 2017</ref> Before the IOC Executive meeting Fredericks while maintaining his innocence withdrew from his position as the Chair of the 2024 Olympic bidding process "in the best interests" of the process.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.sanluisobispo.com/sports/article136868588.html| author=Graham Dunbar| title=Fredericks leaves 2024 Olympic bid role, waives vote| work=[[The Tribune (San Luis Obispo)|The Tribune]]| date=7 March 2017| access-date=7 March 2017| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170308043735/http://www.sanluisobispo.com/sports/article136868588.html| archive-date=8 March 2017}}</ref> Fredericks was replaced as the chair of the 2024 Olympic bidding process by former FIBA secretary general [[Patrick Baumann (basketball)|Patrick Baumann]].

==Business career==
After his athletic career, Fredericks worked as a business manager. He also founded the Frank Fredericks Foundation in 1999, a non-profit organisation supporting talented athletes.<ref name=where/>

== See also ==
*[[List of champions of Africa of athletics|List of champions of African athletics]]
*[[International Association of Athletics Federations#Doping controversy|IAAF doping controversy]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{World Athletics||name=Frank Fredericks}}
* [http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/ioc/members/bio_uk.asp?id=1071 Frank Fredericks] at the [[International Olympic Committee]] (IOC)
* [http://www.fff.org.na/ Website of the ''Frank Fredericks Foundation'']
* ''[http://www.iaaf.org/news/Kind=2/newsId=27653.html Fredericks says goodbye – a career tribute]'' – IAAF website, 13 October 2004

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach|rec}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Olapade Adeniken]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of African records in athletics|Men's 200m African Record Holder]]|years=3 August 1992&nbsp;– 23 July 2023}}
{{s-aft|after = [[Letsile Tebogo]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Linford Christie]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Men's 200 metres world record progression|Men's 200m Indoor World Record Holder]]|years=18 February 1996&nbsp;– present}}
{{s-inc}}
{{s-ach|ach}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Michael Marsh (athlete)|Michael Marsh]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[200 metres#Men.27s Seasons Best|Men's 200 m Best Year Performance]]|years=1993}}
{{s-aft|after= [[John Regis (athlete)|John Regis]]}}
{{s-sports|oly}}
{{s-bef|before = ''None''}}
{{s-ttl|title = [[List of flag bearers for Namibia at the Olympics|Flagbearer]] for {{NAM}}|years = [[1992 Summer Olympics|Barcelona 1992]]}}
{{s-aft|after = [[Friedhelm Sack]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Footer World Champions 200 m Men}}
{{Footer World Indoor Champions 200m Men}}
{{Footer Commonwealth Champions 200m Men}}
{{Footer All-Africa Champions 100 m Men}}
{{Footer All-Africa Champions 200 m Men}}
{{Footer African Champions men's 100 metres}}
{{Footer African Champions men's 200 metres}}
{{Footer IAAF World Cup Champions 200m Men}}
{{Footer WBYP 200m Men}}
{{BBC African Footballer of the Year}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fredericks, Frankie}}
[[Category:1967 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Windhoek]]
[[Category:Namibian men sprinters]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for Namibia]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for Namibia]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1992 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1992 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Namibia]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Namibia]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for Namibia]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1994 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1998 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2002 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Namibia]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships medalists]]
[[Category:World Athletics Indoor Championships medalists]]
[[Category:International Olympic Committee members]]
[[Category:BYU Cougars men's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:African Games gold medalists for Namibia]]
[[Category:World Athletics indoor record holders]]
[[Category:Goodwill Games medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1991 All-Africa Games]]
[[Category:African Games silver medalists for Namibia]]
[[Category:African Games bronze medalists for Namibia]]
[[Category:World Athletics Indoor Championships winners]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:Competitors at the 1994 Goodwill Games]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 1994 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 1998 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 2002 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:21st-century Namibian sportsmen]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in athletics]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists in athletics]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists in athletics]]
[[Category:African Games gold medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:African Games silver medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:African Games bronze medalists in athletics (track and field)]]