Omoba Adegboyega Folaranmi Adedoyin, M.D. (September 11, 1922 – January 31, 2014)

Omoba Adegboyega Folaranmi Adedoyin, M.D. (September 11, 1922 – January 31, 2014)

Omoba Adegboyega Folaranmi Adedoyin, M.D. (September 11, 1922 – January 31, 2014) was a Nigerian-born British high jumper and long jumper who made history as the first Nigerian to compete in an Olympic final in 1948.

Personal Life
Born in Shagamu, Ogun State, Adedoyin was the second son of the local king. He moved to the United Kingdom in 1942 to pursue his studies at Queen’s University in Belfast, where he graduated with a degree in medicine in 1949.

Athletics Career
Adedoyin triumphed at the 1947 AAA Championships in Loughborough, winning the high jump event with a clearance of 1.93 metres. That same year, he appeared in a newsreel by Pathé News showcasing university sports, where he was considered a strong contender to represent Britain at the Olympic Games.

In the 1948 Summer Olympics, Adedoyin competed in both the high jump and the long jump events. On July 30, in the high jump, he successfully cleared 1.87 metres in the qualifying round, advancing to the final. Despite the large field of 20 competitors, Adedoyin managed to jump 1.90 metres on his third attempt, securing 12th place. Had he cleared that height on his first attempt, he could have finished as high as sixth. The following day, Adedoyin competed in the long jump, where he placed fifth with a jump of 7.27 metres, as less than twelve athletes reached the qualifying distance of 7.20 metres.

Adedoyin’s personal best performances were 1.969 metres in the high jump (1949) and 7.35 metres in the long jump (1947).

Life After Athletics
After his Olympic participation, Adedoyin returned to Nigeria, where he practiced as an obstetrician-gynaecologist.

He passed away on January 31, 2014.