Reina-Flor Okori Makendengue (born 2 May 1980) is an Equatoguinean former track and field athlete who specialised in the 100 metres hurdles. She is a four-time Olympian with over 20 years on the track representing France and Equatorial Guinea. Using her sports legacy and African soul blueprint, she inspires and coaches international businesses, executives, and athletes to redefine the new psychology of winning and leading. In 2015 she took allegiance back to Equatorial Guinea, represented her country for the Olympic games of Rio 2016, and became a flag bearer.
 Okori at the 2013 World Championships | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Reina-Flor Okori Makendengue |
| Nationality | |
| Born | 2 May 1980 Libreville, Gabon |
| Height | 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in) |
| Weight | 56 kg (123 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Country | Equatorial Guinea (2016) France (before 2016) |
| Event | 100 m hurdles |
| Club | Doubs Sud Athlétisme |
| Coached by | Patricia Girard |
Early life
editOkori was born in Libreville, Gabon to Equatoguinean parents, exiles due to the political persecution during the dictatorship of Francisco Macías Nguema.[1]
Career
editAs a junior, Okori finished tenth in long jump at the 1996 World Junior Championships and won the 1999 European Junior Championships in 100 meters hurdles.
Okori finished fifth at the 2001 Summer Universiade and sixth at the 2007 European Indoor Championships. She competed at the 2004 Olympics, the 2005 European Indoor Championships, the 2005 World Championships and the 2006 European Championships, the 2013 European indoor championship in Goteborg and world outdoor world championships in Moscou reaching the semi-finals.
At the 2008 Olympics, Okori reached the semi-finals of the 100 metres hurdles.[2] She repeated this feat at the 2012 Summer Olympics, but was disqualified in the semi-finals.[3] She was the flag bearer of Equatorial Guinea at the 2016 Olympics, where she was going to represent the African country before finally retiring from athletics.
Prize list
edit- 10 selections for French Elite Teams (as of 1/1/07)
French Champion 2004 at 100 m hurdles in 12.71 s (+2,1 m/s)
Vice-champion of France 2005 at 100 m hurdles in 12.75 s (+0,9 m/s)
- 1st in final of DécaNation 2006 in 12.87 s
- 6th in semi-final of 100 m hurdles at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games in 12.81 s
- 4th in final of 100 m hurdles at the 2005 Mediterranean Games in 13.20 s
- 6th in semi-final of the 100 m hurdles at the 2005 World Championships in 12.99 s
- 5th in semi-final of the 100 m hurdles at the 2006 European Championships in 13.08 s
Personal Bests
edit| Event | Performance | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m hurdles | 12 s 65 | Montgeron | 11 May 2008 |
Personal life
editOkori's paternal grandfather was a Nigerian Igbo emigrant to the then Spanish Guinea. The rest of her grandparents were Equatoguinean Ndowé – her two grandmothers belonged to the Kombe tribe and her maternal grandfather belonged to the Bapuku tribe.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b "Interview de Reina-Flor Okori Makendengue Evita, athlète française d'origine équato-guinéenne" (in French). Archived from the original on 5 March 2016.
- ^ "Women's 100m Hurdles at the 2008 Summer Olympics". www.olympics.org. IOC. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
- ^ "Women's 100m Hurdles at the 2012 Summer Olympics". www.olympics.org. IOC. Retrieved 17 August 2013.