Maria Akraka
Swedish middle-distance runner
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Maria Helene Henriksson Akraka (born July 7, 1966) is a Swedish retired entrepreneur, television host and former athlete.[1]
Maria Akraka representing Intersport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Maria Helene Henriksson Akraka | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 7 July 1966 London, England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 55 kg (121 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Sweden | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | Iowa State | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Rånäs 4H | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 2000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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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.[2]
In 2010 she was inducted into the Iowa State Cyclones Hall of Fame.[3]
International career
Akraka competed in four European Championships,[4] three World Championships, and the 1992 Olympic Games in both the 1,500 m and 800 m races.[5]
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[6][7] and also covered various sports competitions such as the Olympics and DN Galan.[8]
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.[9]
Currently she serves as an advisory for sporting goods retailer, Intersport[10] and the founder/CEO of Sportcore, a career agency for former professional athletes.
Personal bests
| Surface | Event | Time | Date | Place | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
| Indoor | 800 m | 2:00:01NR | 19 February 1998 | Stockholm, Sweden | |
| 1,500 m | 4:07:74 | 18 February 1992 | Genoa, Italy | ||
| Road | 1 mile | 4:29.0h | 1 February 1998 | Santee, CA, USA | |
| Reference: | |||||
Personal life
Akraka is married to former triple jumper Tord Henriksson[11] and they have two children.[12]
Akraka was born in London to a Swedish mother and a Nigerian father.[13] 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[14] is a former track and field athlete who competed in the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.[15] She has a twin brother, Michael.[2]
