Gary Kikaya
Encyclopedia
Gary Kikaya is an athlete competing internationally for the Democratic Republic of the Congo
in the 400 metres. He was born in Lubumbashi
.
At the age of 12 his family moved to Johannesburg, South Africa, where his father, a career diplomat, served as the Congolese Ambassador to South Africa. Like most Southern African youths, his sporting interests began with rugby and soccer.
He received a scholarship to study at Rand Afrikaans University (RAU), now the University of Johannesburg (UJ), was thereafter recruited by the University of Tennessee.
Kikaya graduated in sociology at University of Tennessee
in Tennessee
, United States
.
. He is currently an MP for the Kasongo
territory of the Maniema
province, in the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
. Kikaya currently lives and trains in Raleigh, NC.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
in the 400 metres. He was born in Lubumbashi
Lubumbashi
Lubumbashi is the second largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, second only to the nation's capital Kinshasa, and the hub of the southeastern part of the country. The copper-mining city serves as the capital of the relatively prosperous Katanga Province, lying near the Zambian border...
.
At the age of 12 his family moved to Johannesburg, South Africa, where his father, a career diplomat, served as the Congolese Ambassador to South Africa. Like most Southern African youths, his sporting interests began with rugby and soccer.
Education
He attended Queens High School in Johannesburg where he only turned to athletics as a senior in 1999 after watching the World Cup, in Johannesburg, the year before. He achieved the school's highest accolade in the form of a School Honours Blazer.He received a scholarship to study at Rand Afrikaans University (RAU), now the University of Johannesburg (UJ), was thereafter recruited by the University of Tennessee.
Kikaya graduated in sociology at University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Family
Kikaya is the son of Ambassador Kikaya bin Karubi, a former Information Minister of the Congo, and a former Special Assistant to President Joseph KabilaJoseph Kabila
Joseph Kabila Kabange is a Congolese politician who has been President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since January 2001. He took office ten days after the assassination of his father, President Laurent-Désiré Kabila...
. He is currently an MP for the Kasongo
Kasongo
Kasongo is a town and territory in Maniema Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It lies east of the Lualaba River, northwest of its confluence with the Luama River, at an altitude of 2188 ft . Kasongos population is approximately 63,000. The town is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese...
territory of the Maniema
Maniema
Maniema is a province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its capital is Kindu.Following the 2005 Constitution , 25 new provinces were to be created from the 10 current provinces within 36 months . As of October 2010, this had not taken place...
province, in the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Composition of the National Assembly...
. Kikaya currently lives and trains in Raleigh, NC.
Achievements
- 2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships2004 IAAF World Indoor ChampionshipsThe 10th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations were held in the Budapest Arena, Hungary between March 5 and March 7, 2004...
- bronze medal - 2006 Africa Athletics Championship - gold medal
- Kikaya became the fastest non American athlete of all time (11th fastest man over 400m at the time, now 13th), running a new African recordAfrican records in athleticsAfrican records in athletics are the best marks set in a track and field and road running events by an athlete who competes for a member nation of the Confederation of African Athletics . The organisation is responsible for ratification and it analyses each record before approving it...
of 44.10 seconds to come second to Jeremy WarinerJeremy WarinerJeremy Mathew Wariner is an American track athlete specializing in the 400 meters. He has won four Olympic medals and six World Championships medals...
at the World Athletics Final 2006 in Stuttgart.http://www.iaaf.org/WAF06/news/Kind=2/newsId=36138.htmlhttp://www.alltime-athletics.com/m_400ok.htm