Kenneth Ikeji

Kenny Ikeji
Personal information
Birth nameKenneth Ikeji
NationalityGreat Britain
Born (2002-10-28) 28 October 2002 (age 22)
Sport
SportAthletics
EventHammer
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)Hammer: 77.92m (Austin, 2023)

Kenneth Ikeji (born 28 October 2002) is a British track and field athlete who competes in the hammer throw and is the UK record holder in the Weight throw.[1]

Early life

Ikeji grew up in Dagenham. He won the 2017 English Schools title in the hammer in Birmingham. He attended Brampton Manor Academy in London. before attending Harvard University in the United States in 2021 to study computer science.[2][3]

Career

Ikelj won the hammer throw 2023 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a 77.92m throw.[4] This placed him third on the UK’s all-time rankings, breaking his personal best numerous times during the competition.[5][6] He also set a new facility record, and Ivy League record, with the 77.92m distance.[7][8]

He was selected as part of the Great Britain team for the 2023 European Athletics U23 Championships held from in July 2023 in Espoo, Finland.[9] He was one of a few athletes controversially left out of the British squad for the 2023 World Championships, despite having been eligible to be selected by ranking.[10]

In February 2024, he set a new UK national record in the Weight throw, recording a distance of 24.39 whilst competing at the 2024 Ivy League Heptagonal Indoor Track & Field Championships.[11] The following month he won the Weight competition with 24.32m at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Boston, Massachusetts.[12][13] In November 2024, he was named by British Athletics on the Olympic Futures Programme for 2025.[14]

References

  1. ^ "K.Ikelj". World Athletics. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  2. ^ "Kenny Ikeji". gocrimson. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  3. ^ Henderson, Jason (July 7, 2023). "Kenny Ikeji keen to make his mark". Athletics Weekly.
  4. ^ Campbell, Steve (7 June 2023). "Harvard's Kenneth Ikeji Claims Men's Hammer Throw Title at NCAA Championships". World-track. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  5. ^ "10 to watch at the UK Athletics Champs". Athletics Weekly. 3 July 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  6. ^ Smythe, Steve (Jun 12, 2023). "Big breakthroughs for Rhasidat Adeleke and Kenneth Ikeji at NCAA Champs". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  7. ^ "Harvard's Ikeji Claims National Title; Four Ivies Named All-Americans on Day One of NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships". Ivyleague.com. 7 June 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  8. ^ Battaglia, Joe (7 June 2023). "Harvard's Kenneth Ikeji Wins Hammer On Final Throw At NCAA Championships". flotrack. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  9. ^ "KEELY HODGKINSON AND JEREMIAH AZU TO CAPTAIN GB & NI AT EUROPEAN U23 CHAMPIONSHIPS". British Athletics. 12 July 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  10. ^ Henderson, Jason (August 7, 2023). "Bradshaw, Lincoln, Payne and Purchase added to GB squad for Budapest". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  11. ^ "Three Individual Titles Highlight The First Day of The 2024 Ivy League Heptagonal Indoor Track & Field Championships". gocrimson. February 24, 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2024..
  12. ^ "KENNY IKEJI CHAMPION MEN'S WEIGHT THROW - NCAA D1 INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS 2024". DyeStat. 8 March 2024. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
  13. ^ "Pinnock leaps world lead to regain NCAA title in Boston". World Athletics. 9 March 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  14. ^ "2024-25 OLYMPIC FUTURES PROGRAMME ATHLETES ANNOUNCED". British Athletics. 11 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.