Ikem G Billy (born 25 January 1964) is a British former
middle-distance runner
Middle-distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle-distance event. The 1 ...
who specialised in the
800 metres
The 800 metres, or meters ( US spelling), is a common track running event. It is the shortest commonly run middle-distance running event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of an outdoor (400-metre) track and has been an Olympic event since t ...
. He was the bronze medallist at the
1985 IAAF World Indoor Games
The World Indoor Games were arranged by the IAAF and held at the Palais Omnisports Paris-Bercy in Paris, France, from January 18 to January 19, 1985. In 1987 the championship was renamed to the IAAF World Indoor Championships
The World Athlet ...
and a silver medallist at the 1989 Summer Universiade. He was a two-time national champion, with one win outdoors and one indoors. He represented his country at the
IAAF World Indoor Championships
The World Athletics Indoor Championships are a biennial indoor track and field competition served as the global championship for that version of the sport. Organised by the World Athletics, the competition was inaugurated as the ''World Indoor G ...
the Wirral
Wirral (; ), known locally as The Wirral, is a peninsula in North West England. The roughly rectangular peninsula is about long and wide and is bounded by the River Dee to the west (forming the boundary with Wales), the River Mersey to the ...
and took up running at an early age, first representing England at the age of thirteen. Ikem Billy – European Junior Champion Wirral AC (July 2015). Retrieved on 2016-02-14. His first success came at the 1983 European Athletics Junior Championships, where he won the 800 m gold medal. He was the English schools champion and AAA Indoor Junior champion over 800 m that same year.
His major senior debut followed at the
1984 European Athletics Indoor Championships
The 1984 European Athletics Indoor Championships were held at Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden on 3 and 4 March 1984. The track used in the stadium at the time was 196 metres long.Phil Norgate.European Indoor Championships GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2016-02-14.Ikem Billy Track and Field Brinkster. Retrieved on 2016-02-14. He achieved his personal best of 1:44.65 minutes that year, but was overlooked for the British Olympic team for the 1984 Los Angeles Games. His first national title followed at the 1985 AAA Indoor Championships and his form continued to the
1985 IAAF World Indoor Games
The World Indoor Games were arranged by the IAAF and held at the Palais Omnisports Paris-Bercy in Paris, France, from January 18 to January 19, 1985. In 1987 the championship was renamed to the IAAF World Indoor Championships
The World Athlet ...
, taking a bronze medal at the inaugural event. He injured himself in 1986, which disrupted his career for a two and half years.
He made his return to senior athletics with sixth place finishes at the
1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships
The 1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships were held in Budapest, Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the ...
and the
1989 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 2nd IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Budapest Sportcsarnok in Budapest, Hungary from March 3 to March 5, 1989. There were a total number of 373 participating athletes from 62 countries.
Results
Men
1985 , 1987 ...
. He took his first and only career title at the
AAA Championships
The AAA Championships was an annual track and field competition organised by the Amateur Athletic Association of England. It was the foremost domestic athletics event in the United Kingdom during its lifetime, despite the existence of the officia ...
in 1989, and was also the British Universities champion over 400 metres. He represented Great Britain at the
Universiade
The Universiade is an international multi-sport event, organized for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation (FISU). The name is a portmanteau of the words "University" and " Olympiad".
The Universiade is referred ...
and claimed the silver medal behind Finland's
Ari Suhonen
Ari Suhonen (born 19 December 1965 in Porvoo) is a Finnish former middle distance runner.
Suhonen was the best Finnish middle distance runner during the late 1980s and the early 1990s and he still holds the national record in the 800 metres, 1. ...
1991 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 3rd IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Palacio Municipal de Deportes San Pablo in Seville, Spain from March 8 to March 10, 1991. It was the first Indoor Championships to include relay races as well as women's triple j ...
but he was far from his best form, being eliminated in the heats with a time of 1:49.09 minutes.Ikem Billy IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-02-14.
International competitions
National titles
*
AAA Championships
The AAA Championships was an annual track and field competition organised by the Amateur Athletic Association of England. It was the foremost domestic athletics event in the United Kingdom during its lifetime, despite the existence of the officia ...