View source for Maria Usifo

{{short description|Nigerian hurdler}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Use Nigerian English|date=August 2019}}
'''Maria Usifo''' (born 1 August 1964) is a [[Nigeria]]n athlete and former Olympian who represented [[Nigeria]] at [[Los Angeles]] (1984) and [[Seoul]] (1988) [[Olympic Games]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ng |first=Metro Daily |date=2021-06-25 |title=We Break the News as the Events Unfold! Ex-olympian, Maria Usifo Counsels Children In Edo IDPs Camp |url=https://metrodailyng.com/2021/06/25/ex-olympian-maria-usifo-counsels-children-in-edo-idps-camp/ |access-date=2022-03-25 |website=We Break the News as the Events Unfold! |language=en-US}}</ref> She specialized in the [[100 metres hurdles|100]] and [[400 metres hurdles]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maria USIFO {{!}} Profile {{!}} World Athletics |url=https://www.worldathletics.org/athletes/_/14292531 |access-date=2022-03-25 |website=www.worldathletics.org}}</ref> She is one of the female athletes in Nigerian sports history who dominated athletic events both at national and international levels.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-03-08 |title=Nigerian women defying odds in sports |url=https://dailytrust.com/nigerian-women-defying-odds-in-sports |access-date=2022-03-25 |website=Daily Trust |language=en}}</ref>

== Career in sports ==
Usifo started her career in sports in Nigeria in the 1970s when the school sports system was functional. She was a former hurdler and quarter-miler whose athletic opened opportunities for her to choose from 10 foreign universities after her outstanding performance at the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia in 1982. She participated in the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984 and Seoul in 1988.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-06-30 |title=Usifo recalls Los Angeles ‘84 memory as CSED celebrates Olympic Day |url=https://guardian.ng/sport/usifo-recalls-los-angeles-84-memory-as-csed-celebrates-olympic-day/ |access-date=2022-03-25 |website=The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News |language=en-US}}</ref> Usifo was All-Africa Games Gold medallist and African Championships Gold medallist.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maria USIFO {{!}} Profile {{!}} World Athletics |url=https://worldathletics.org/athletes/nigeria/maria-usifo-14292531 |access-date=2022-03-25 |website=worldathletics.org |language=en}}</ref>

In 1986, Usifo became the first [[Texas Southern Tigers track and field]] athlete to win an individual NCAA DI title, in the 400 m hurdles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=admin |date=2014-07-20 |title=I still rue my fall at Seoul Olympics – Usifo |url=https://thenicheng.com/i-still-rue-my-fall-at-seoul-olympics-usifo/ |access-date=2024-05-16 |website=TheNiche |language=en-US}}</ref>

==International competitions==
{| {{AchievementTable|Event=yes}}
|-
!colspan="6"|Representing {{NGR}}
|-
|rowspan=2|1987
|rowspan=2|[[1987 All-Africa Games|All-Africa Games]]
|rowspan=2|[[Nairobi, Kenya]]
|bgcolor="gold" | 1st
|100 m hurdles
|[[Athletics at the 1987 All-Africa Games|13.29]]
|-
|bgcolor="gold" | 1st
|400 m hurdles
|[[Athletics at the 1987 All-Africa Games|55.72]]
|}

*[[1989 African Championships in Athletics|1989 African Championships]] - gold medal (400 m h)
*[[1988 African Championships in Athletics|1988 African Championships]] - gold medal (100 m h)
*[[1988 African Championships in Athletics|1988 African Championships]] - gold medal (400 m h)
*[[1985 African Championships in Athletics|1985 African Championships]] - gold medal (100 m h)
*[[1985 African Championships in Athletics|1985 African Championships]] - silver medal (400 m h)
*[[1984 African Championships in Athletics|1984 African Championships]] - gold medal (100 m h)

== References ==
<references />

==External links==
{{sisterlinks|d=Q611227|c=no|n=no|b=no|v=no|voy=no|m=no|mw=no|s=no|wikt=no|species=no}}
*{{World Athletics}}

{{Footer All-Africa Champions 100 m Hurdles Women}}
{{Footer All-Africa Champions 400 m Hurdles Women}}
{{Footer African Champions women's 100 metres hurdles}}
{{Footer African Champions women's 400 metres hurdles}}


{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Usifo, Maria}}
[[Category:1964 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Nigerian female hurdlers]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for Nigeria]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Nigeria]]
[[Category:African Games gold medalists for Nigeria]]
[[Category:African Games gold medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:African Games athletes for Nigeria]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games athletes for Nigeria]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1982 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1994 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1987 All-Africa Games]]
[[Category:Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:FISU World University Games bronze medalists for Nigeria]]
[[Category:20th-century Nigerian sportswomen]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:Texas Southern Tigers women's track and field athletes]]


{{Nigeria-athletics-bio-stub}}