Canada would host the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics in Quebec from July 17 to August 1. Uganda’s John Akii-Bua, who had won a gold medal in the 400m hurdles and at the same time set a world record (47.82), began to get stronger in late 1975 to defend his Olympic title. The preparation was intensified in 1976.

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

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

Akii-Bua on June 8, 1976 became the main highlight at a German international meet held in Dusseldorf, Germany, when he won both the 400m flat and 400m hurdles. The competition, although overwhelmingly German nationals, was heavily regarded as a qualifier for the 1976 Olympics. Akii-Bua’s 400mh win in 48.58 was his personal best of the year. Although excellent then and world leader, he would drop to the fifth fastest time of the year behind the final times of Edwin Corley Moses (USA), Quentin Wheeler and Tom Andrews (USA, 48.55) and Jim Bolding. (USA, 48.57). ). Sub-49 second finishes had become more common and dramatized the growing competition at the intermediate hurdles!

Akii-Bua’s victory in the 400m final at the Dusseldorf meet was in a personal best time of 45.82. She came close to Amos Omolo’s Ugandan record of 45.33 set at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, in a quarter-final tie which she won. This heat included the legendary Lee Edward Evans, who would eventually win gold and simultaneously set the first under-44 world record. She would endure for almost a quarter of a century.

Akii in Düsseldorf beat the next Olympic relay bronze medalist, Germany’s Franz-Peter Hofmeister (46.39), and European record holder and Olympic finalist Karl Honz (West Germany), who faded into third place. This performance, which took place just a couple of months before Montreal 1976, was Akii’s most profound pre-Olympic demonstration that he was in contention for another Olympic medal. Akii trained in the city of Dortmund in Germany in preparation for the Olympics.

Akii, now 26 years old, was expected to ably defend his Olympic title, especially given his commendable preparation for the Montreal Olympics which included strong performances in the two track meets in Europe. Near the end of June, while in Helsinki, Akii-Bua was injured and doctors prescribed a two-week break without training. They told him that he could still make it to the Olympic competition if he was patient. In mid-July 1976, regarding his strained left hamstring, Akii-Bua would testify in the Montreal Olympic Village (Associated Press: 1976: 34):

“I can’t get my foot off the fence at all. The muscle is so sore. I can’t run, Dwight.”

Dwight Stones, the high jump world record holder, then recommended treatment by California chiropractor, Dr. Leroy Perry, famous for treating a considerable number of world-class athletes; and he was in Montreal as part of the medical staff for the Antiguan team that was here to compete in the Olympics for the first time.

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

“I’m not so sure [that Akii-Bua will win] because Akii has been injured. If you can’t do your best, then you would choose [Edwin] Moses.”

Edwin Moses, running in “Narrow” Lane 2 at Eugene, Oregon, set an American record of 48.30 at the US Olympic Trials on June 21; though 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 Akii-Bua’s Olympic Games-winning performances in Munich and Mexico City in 1972 (47.82). and the British David Hemery in 1968. (48.1).

On July 18, 1976, the 50-year-old Queen Elizabeth of England opened the Games in Montreal. But unfortunately, many African nations, including Uganda, boycotted the Games. Her effort to expel New Zealand from the Games by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was not honored. IOC President Lord Killanin argued, among other things, that although the New Zealand rugby team was touring apartheid South Africa, rugby was not an Olympic sport; therefore, the African boycott was not justified. Other notable African athletes such as Kenya’s Mike Boit and Miruts Yifter would therefore not compete.

On July 25 in Montreal, in the intermediate hurdles final, 20-year-old Edwin Moses, running in favorite lane 4, set a new Olympic and world record (47.63). This was the first time that Moses competed at the international level. In a span of 10 years, Moses scored many victories, including an additional Olympic gold medal, winning 122 consecutive races and breaking the world record four times. Moses established himself as the best hurdler in the world.

The following years, 1977 and 1978, were peak years of political turmoil in Uganda, as Amin’s foothold in Uganda weakened as the regime collapsed as exiles and Tanzanian forces moved in to topple the regime. There were rumors that Akii-Bua was arrested and imprisoned; he and his family fled to Kenya. Amin’s regime fell in March 1978. The year 1976 was clearly the last significant year for Akii-Bua as an athlete. But the injury chamber and the chamber boycott the Olympics. The showdown with Edwin Moses that the sports community had hoped for did not happen. Akii’s significant achievement in 1978 was the silver medal at the African Games in Algiers. Competition from him had significantly decreased. Akii-Bua did not compete in the 1978 Commonwealth Games (Edmonton) in which Uganda did not participate, nor had she competed in the previous ones in 1974 (Christchurch).

He still attempted one last stage at the Moscow Olympics in 1980, also heavily boycotted. His performance was lackluster and he didn’t make it past the semi-finals. The Ugandan 4x400m relay team that Akii was part of also did not do well. Akii-Bua’s namesake, John Mugabi, won Uganda a silver medal in welterweight boxing. Many countries, including the US and Kenya, had boycotted the Olympics while protesting the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Works Cited

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

Shepherd, Dan. “Track Team To Win Only 5 Golds–Stones”, in “Sarasota Journal” (July 14, 1976).