John Akii-Bua: Progress, Disaster, War, Injuries, and Detention Toward the 1976 Montreal and 1980 Moscow Olympics

Canada would host the 1976 summer Olympics in Montreal in Quebec from July 17th to August 1st. John Akii-Bua of Uganda, who had won a gold medal in the 400 meters-hurdles and simultaneously established a world record (47.82), started building himself up in late 1975 to defend his Olympic title. The preparation intensified in 1976.

At an international meet in Berlin, on August 22nd 1975, Akii Bua won in the 400 meters-hurdles in 49.2. Significantly, here Guy Drut of France lowered the world-record of the 110 meters hurdles, previously held by American Rodney Milburn, to 13.0.

On June 6th 1976 in Dortmund at a meet, Akii-Bua established the world leading time in the intermediate hurdles by winning in 48.58. Frenchman Guy Drut won in the 110 meters-hurdles in 13.59.

Akii-Bua on June 8th 1976 became the main highlight at a German international meet held in Dusseldorf in Germany when he won in both the 400-flat and the  400 meters-hurdles. The competition, though overwhelmingly of German nationals, was importantly regarded as an Olympics-1976 Games' qualifier. Akii-Bua's 400mh win in 48.58 was his personal best for the year. Though excellent and a world-leading time then, it would be reduced to  5th best for the year behind the finishing times of Edwin Corley Moses (USA), Quentin Wheeler and Tom Andrews (USA, 48.55), and Jim Bolding  (USA, 48.57). The sub-49-second finishes had become more common, and they dramatized the increasing competition in the intermediate hurdles!

Akii-Bua's win in the 400 meters-flat final at the Dusseldorf meet was in a personal best time of 45.82. It was close to Amos Omolo's Uganda record of 45.33 established at the Olympics of 1968 in Mexico City, in a quarter-final heat in which he won. This heat included legendary Lee Edward Evans who would eventually win the gold and simultaneously establish the first sub-44 world record. It would endure for nearly a quarter of a century.

Akii in Dusseldorf beat upcoming Olympic relay bronze-medalist German Franz-Peter Hofmeister (46.39), and  European record-holder and Olympic finalist Karl Honz (West Germany) who faded into third place. This performance, happening only a couple of months before Montreal 1976, was Akii's most profound pre-Olympic display of evidence that he was very much in contention for  another Olympic medal. Akii trained in the city Dortmund in Germany as preparation for  the Olympic Games.

Akii, now aged 26 was expected to ably defend his Olympic title, especially given his commendable build-up for the Olympics in Montreal that included the excellent performances at the two track meets in Europe. Near the end of June while in Helsinki, Akii-Bua was injured and was prescribed a two-week non-training rest by doctors there. They told him that he could still make it to Olympic competition if he was patient.The Olympics were merely weeks away! In the middle of July 1976, regarding his pulled left hamstring muscle, Akii-Bua would declare in the Olympic village in Montreal (Associated Press: 1976: 34):

"I cannot snap my foot down off the hurdle at all. The muscle is very sore. I cannot run, Dwight."

Dwight Stones, the high-jump world record holder, then recommended treatment by California chiropractor Dr. Leroy Perry who was renowned for treating a sizeable number of world-class athletes; and was in Montreal as part of the medical staff attending to Antigua's team which was here to compete in the Olympics for the first time.

Legendary American high-jumper and Akii's friend Dwight Stones would comment on Akii-Bua's prospects of winning at the Games in Montreal (Berger 1976):

"I am not too sure [that Akii-Bua will win] because Akii has been hurt. If he can't run up to his best, then I'd pick [Edwin] Moses."

Edwin Moses, running in "tight" lane 2 had in Eugene in Oregon established an American record of 48.30 at the USA Olympic trials on June 21st; although running as an intermediate hurdler was relatively new to him. Moses had raced in the 400mh for only three months, but the 48.30 was then the third fastest time in history--after respectively the Munich and Mexico City Olympic winning performances of Akii-Bua in 1972 (47.82) and the Briton David Hemery in 1968 (48.1).

"Sports Illustrated," in mid-July 1976 predicted, as was the case in 1972, that Ugandan Akii-Bua would again claim gold. It was predicted that this time Edwin Moses would be second, and that Quinten Wheeler also of USA would be third. But the editors also added that the injury placed a question mark on Akii.

On July 18th 1976, the 50 year-old English Queen Elizabeth opened the Games in
Montreal. But alas, many African nations including Uganda boycotted the Games. Their effort to have New Zealand expelled from the Games by the International Olympic  Committee (IOC) was not honored. Lord Killanin the IOC president argued, among other things, that although the New Zealand rugby team was touring apartheid South Africa, rugby was not an Olympic sport; hence the African boycott was not justified. Other notable African athletes like Mike Boit of Kenya and Miruts Yifter, would therefore not compete.

In Montreal on July 25th in the finals of the intermediate hurdles, 20 year-old Edwin Moses, running in favored lane 4, established a new Olympic and world record (47.63). This was the first time for Moses to compete at international level. In a span of 10 years, Moses would claim many victories, including winning an additional Olympic gold medal, winning 122 races consecutively, and breaking the world record four times. Moses established himself as the world's greatest hurdler.

From 1976, under Uganda's dictatorial military president Idi Amin, Akii-Bua felt imprisoned in his native country. He was restricted from competing abroad, and when allowed to get out of the country, his wife and children were barred from going along with him. This was to ensure that he would return to tumultuous Uganda.

He recounts: "I think he [Idi Amin] wanted to put me in jail several times, but I guess he didn't do it because I was too prominent a person. ...Since 1975 I had been trying to get out with my family, but there was no way for us to leave together" (Gelband 1979).

The confusion that would evolve as the Tanzanian and Ugandan liberators (many of who were of Akii-Bua's Langi ethnic group) approached the capital Kampala gave Akii the risky opportunity to whisk his family out of Uganda into neighboring Kenya. Milton Obote, the president deposed in Amin's coup d'etat of 1971 was of the same Langi group that became overly earmarked and harassed by Amin's militia and secret service. In the chaotic confusion toward the toppling of Amin, Akii still managed to arrange for his immediate family to be transported east to Tororo which is near the border with Kenya, as he planned to join them later on March 30th.

Akii-Bua was readily recognizable, so it would not be easy for him to escape Uganda. From Kampala he drove out eastwards, dressed in his police uniform as he would routinely do, so as not to arouse suspicion of attempting to flee. About thirty Uganda army soldiers jumped out of the bushes and some demanded that he drive them to Jinja which is 50 miles east of Kampala. He knew that would end up with him being killed or at best foiling his escape plan. The soldiers let Akii-Bua slide by after he lied to them that he was on duty in the police operations and entrusted to repairing a malfunctioning VHF receiver. To look the more believable, Akii turned around to show his heading back to the capital.

The next day, Akii, accompanied by an uncle and in the company of a west German diplomatic convoy attempted to flee again. While on their way, they saw three carloads of State Research Bureau (Amin's plain clothes security and terror squad) men. The two relatives jumped into their Peugeot, they were pursued by the SRB squad but managed to get away. The two knew they would easily be apprehended if they fled via the main Uganda eastern town Tororo, so they went to where Akii's wife was sheltered and hid there for three days. The wife Joyce then walked for six miles through the bushes from the border town Malaba and crossed the Kenya border at Amungurha. Akii was able to drive for three miles through the bushes to the Kenya border town Busia, bribing villagers to show him the way (Gelband: 1979).

Akii-Bua, together with other Ugandans many of whom had been Amin's aides were detained in Busia for a month. Had he stayed home, he likely would have been killed in the heightened bloodbath that followed the defeating of Amin's forces in March 1979. After being released at Busia, Akii sent his family off to west Germany; and briefly visited Kampala to check on his house and relatives. His house had been looted, and that included his Olympic gold medal.

Akii's significant achievement in 1978 was the silver medal at the Africa Games in Algiers. His competing had significantly waned. Akii-Bua did not compete at the Commonwealth Games of 1978 (Edmonton) in which Uganda did not participate, nor had he competed in the previous ones of 1974 (Christchurch).

The massive death, destruction, and malfunctioning during and after the toppling of Idi Amin would not allow for Akii to adequately train in Uganda in preparation for the Olympics of 1980 in Moscow. Now aged 30 and significantly slower, Akii moved to Germany to train and was still determined to win another Olympic medal. He would attempt a last stint at the heavily boycotted Olympics in Moscow.

At the Moscow Olympics, John Akii-Bua's performance was mediocre and he did qualify beyond the semi-finals in the 400mh. The Uganda 4x 400m relay team that Akii was part of did not fare well, either: the team was eliminated in the first round. Akii-Bua's namesake John Mugabi won Uganda a welterweight boxing silver medal, the only medal won for the nation at the venue. Many countries, including the USA and Kenya, had boycotted the Olympics as they protested the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Works Cited

Associated Press. "Gold Medalist Injured: Akii-Bua May Miss Olympics," in "Observer Reporter" (July 15, 1976).

Berger, Dan. "Track Team To Win Only 5 Golds--Stones," in "Sarasota Journal" (July 14, 1976).

Gelband, Myra. "Scoreboard," in "SI Vault"  (July 2, 1979).

Jonathan Musere

Justin Arop: Uganda-Africa Record Breaking Javelin Thrower

Javelin throwing is highly technical, and it is also stressful on the arms and shoulders. In a region where there is a dearth of internationally competitive field athletes, javelin thrower Justin Arop rose to the occasion and for many years represented Uganda at the All-Africa Games, the Commonwealth of Nations' Games, and the Olympic Games. In the process he broke the African (excluding RSA) record. Arop's national record still stands, and he remains Uganda's greatest individual field athlete. Amidst Uganda's traditional orientation toward running, soccer, and boxing sports, Justin Arop's remarkable performances have poorly been followed and documented, and have largely been ignored and unknown.

Arop's remarkable athletic talent was evident when he was a teenager. In 1976, at the East and Central African Championships that were held in Zanzibar, 18 year-old Arop won the gold medal with a distance of 68.05m. Arop dethroned the long-time champion John Mayaka of Kenya who had also won the bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in 1974 held in Edinburgh with an Africa record throw of 77.56m. Let it be noted that during the years of the apartheid regime, superior athletic performances of white Africans of the Republic of South Africa were often internationally disregarded or excluded. At the forthcoming East and Central African Championships, Arop would again become the javelin champion (71.04m) in 1977 in Mogadishu in Somalia, in 1981 (74.94m) in Mombasa in Kenya, in 1982 (73.02m) in Cairo in Egypt, in 1985 in Cairo, in 1989 (69.94m) in Arusha in Tanzania, and in 1990 (66.50m) in Jinja in Uganda. In 1989, in the same Championships, the strong and agile Arop won gold with his shot putt throw of 13.15m. The Championships ended in 1990; they were briefly revived in 1995 as East African (Zone V) Championships, but they had lost their spark and were only held for three more years---in 2001, 2003, and 2005.

At the All-Africa Games of 1978, held in Algiers, Justin Arop won gold with a national record throw of 76.94 meters, excellently distant ahead of runner-up silver medallist Ali Memmi of Tunisia (71.28m), and bronze medallist John Mayaka (70.76m) of Kenya. The next venue of the All-Africa Games was Nairobi in Kenya in 1987, nearly 10 years after the Algiers 1978 venue. Arop ably defended his continental title, winning gold with a throw of 73.42m. A meter behind was silver medallist Zakayo Malekwa of Tanzania who was ahead of the bronze medallist George Odera (71.30m) of Kenya.

The 1985 African Championships in Athletics were held in Cairo from August 15th to 18th. Here, Arop's best throw of 74.60m earned him the bronze medal behind gold medallist Ahmed Mahour Bacha (80.04m) of Algeria, and silver medallist Abu El Makarem El Hamd (75.30m) of Egypt. Arop's was Uganda's only medal at this venue; Uganda was 17th overall.

At the same African Championships in Athletics, this time held in Annaba in Algeria from in August 29th to September 2nd 1988, Justin Arop captured the gold in the javelin with a best final throw of 74.52m. The runners-up were Tarek Chaabani of Tunisia (67.50m), and Samir Menouar of Algeria (64.62m). The other gold medal win was by the women's 4x400m team. Uganda was placed 8th overall.

At the 1990 African Championships in Athletics, held in Cairo from October 3rd to 6th, Arop won the javelin bronze medal with a length of 67.76m, quite close behind gold medallist Fidele Rakotonirina of Madagascar (69.50m), and silver medallist Pius Bazighe (68.80m) of Nigeria. Uganda's only other medals won at this venue were by Edith Nakiyingi in the women's 800m and 1500m runs. Uganda emerged 13th, overall.

Justin Arop is still the only track and field athlete to ever represent Uganda at three Olympic venues. Born on March 24th 1958 in the Acholi region of northern Uganda, Arop was 22 years old when he represented Uganda at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. He was the youngest Ugandan participant at the venue. In the Qualification Round of the javelin throw, that was contested on July 26th 1980, Arop's best throw was amazing. His best distance was 82.68m---a new Uganda national record! It was also a new Africa (excluding RSA) record! Nevertheless, many of the javelin throwers were ahead of Arop--he was placed 8th and well behind the best Qualifying Round athlete Ferenec Paraqi of Hungary (88.76m). The requirement had been for the first twelve, plus any additional competitors who would throw more than 80 meters to qualify for the Final Round. Arop was the sole African finalist. Marius Corbett of the Republic of South Africa established the current Africa record, of 88.75 meters, in 1998.

The twelve Olympic finalists made their final throws on July 27th. With a best throw of 77.34m, including some fouls, Justin Arop's ranking dropped to 12th, or last among the finalists. Unluckily, Arop's final throw was 77.34m, more than 5 meters behind his record-breaking best throw in the qualifying rounds! The winners were gold medallist Dainis Kula (Soviet Union) with 91.20m, silver medallist Aleksandr Makarov (Soviet Union) with 89.64m, and Wolfgang Hanisch (East Germany) with a hurl of 86.72m.

On June 27th 1982, at a track and field Invitational in Durham on the Duke University campus in North Carolina--the "Lite Summer Games," Arop won in the javelin event with a winning length of 84.58m, yet a new Uganda and Africa (outside of RSA) record. The audience was 13000-strong.

Among the many years that Justin Arop emerged javelin winner at the Uganda Athletic Championships were 1981 (75.90m), 1982 (68.30m), 1984 (64.17m), 1985 (65.22m), 1986 (74.10m), 1987 (65.23m), 1990 (64.48m), and 1991 (66.76m). Arop was also national shot putt champion in 1982 (14.24m), 1985 (13.20m), and 1986 (12.82m).

At the Olympics of 1984 that were held in August in Los Angeles, the challenge was for the top twelve javelin throwers plus all those who achieved at least 83 meters to advance to the Final Round. On August 4th, Arop's performance amongst the athletes in the Group A Qualification Round was a far cry from his Olympic performance in Moscow in 1980. This time, Arop's best throw of 69.76m was the worst among the 14 competitors in the Group. Arop was eliminated from advancing to the finals. In the end, Arop's 69.76m distance placed him 27th overall, just ahead of last 28th and last-placed Mike O'Rourke of New Zealand whose outrageous fouling did not allow him to score at all. The other African competitor, Zakayo Malekwa of Tanzania, who Arop was competitively familiar with, was placed 19th overall.

On September 24th 1988, 30 year-old Arop at 6'1" and nearly 200 lbs was ready to throw the javelin at his third Olympic appearance. This time the yardstick was for the first twelve and ties, and all those who had thrown to a distance of 79 meters to advance to the Final Round. There were two Qualification Round groups, and Arop was in Group B. Out of the 19 Group B competitors, Arop was placed 17th with a best throw of 69.10m. He therefore did not make it to the finals. In the end Arop was placed 33rd overall out of the 38 competitors. Curiously, Zakayo Malekwa, again the only other African competitor was placed 34th given his best throw of 67.56m. The winning Olympic medallists were Jan Zelezny of Czechoslovakia (85.90m, a new Olympic record), Seppo Raty of Finland (81.62m), and Tapio Korjus of Finland (81.42m).

On August 29th 1987, at the 2nd IAAF World Championships in Athletics held in Rome, out of the 37 contestants, Arop was eliminated in the qualification round after posting a best throw of 71.76 meters and finishing 14th. The medal-winning finalists were future Olympic medallist Seppo Raty of Finland (83.54m), Viktor Yevsyukov of the Soviet Union (82.52m), and future Olympic medallist Jan Zelezny of Czechoslovakia (82.20m). And in Ulm in West Germany at an athletics meet, Justin Arop hurled the javelin to 75.52 meters on August 6th 1988.

On January 3rd at the Commonwealth Games of 1990, held in Auckland in New Zealand, Arop's best javelin attempt was 70.74m. It was the best among the African competitors in the event, but it would only afford him an 8th placed finals position. The medal winners were Englishmen Steve Backley (86.02m) and Mick Hill (83.32m), and New Zealander Gavin Lovegrove (81.66m).

Justin Arop was only 36 years old when he passed away in 1994. The Arop Memorial Championships, in his honor, were first held in Gulu in northern Uganda, at the Pece Stadium, in July 2006, September 2007, and April 2009. In April 2010, the family pleaded to the Uganda government to erect a school or a vocational institute in honor of Justin Arop. And again because Arop was a technician in a field sport that is not popular in Uganda, and because he died young, he was disabled from promoting his national gem worth, he became forgotten. Contrary to many Ugandan accounts, Arop's gold medal win at the All-Africa Games in Algiers in 1976 was not an Africa record, though it was a new national record. And it would not be his best all-time javelin throw. Arop did break Africa's (excluding RSA) javelin record during the Qualification Round (82.68m) at the Olympics of 1980 in Moscow; but his tosses were quite inferior in the finals competition for the medals. It was at the Lite Summer Games at the Duke University campus in Durham in North Carolina, in June 1982, that winning Arop hurled the javelin to his furthest. It was an Africa (excluding RSA) record and is still Uganda's javelin record after three decades--84.58m.

Jonathan Musere