Nia Akins

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Nia Akins
Akins at the 2023 World Athletics Championships
Personal information
NationalityAmerican
Born (1998-07-07) July 7, 1998 (age 26)
Sport
SportAthletics
Event800m
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)800m: (1:57.36 Eugene, Oregon, 2024)

Nia Akins (born July 7, 1998) is an American track and field athlete. In 2023, she became the United States national champion over 800m; both indoors and outdoors.[1]

Early life

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From San Diego, the daughter of Nicol Hodges, she attended Rancho Bernardo High School before attending the University of Pennsylvania in 2016.[2][3] On May 18, 2020, she graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Nursing.[4]

Career

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Competing at a collegiate level, she was a two-time NCAA 800m runner-up. At the 2019 NACAC U23 Championships, she won a silver medal in the 800m in Queretaro, Mexico.[5]

Akins was the only runner to turn pro in 2020, having run the second-fastest 800m time in NCAA history of 2:00.71 at the Boston Invitational.[6] She moved to Seattle to train under Danny Mackey with the Brooks Beasts Track Club, alongside athletes such as Olympic medalist Josh Kerr, and Allie Ostrander.[7]

In July 2022, she ran a new personal best time of 1:58.78 in Memphis, Tennessee.[8]

In February 2023, Akins won the US national indoor 800m title, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.[9] She started her 2023 outdoor season with victories at both of her outdoor 800m races, running a 1:59.37 at the Portland Track Festival and then a 1:59.76 in Portland on June 24, 2023.[10]

Competing at the 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, in Eugene, Oregon, she reached the final of the 800m competition as the fastest qualifier and won the final ahead of Raevyn Rogers.[11] She was selected for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August 2023.[12] She ran a new personal best in the final, running 1:57.73 in finishing sixth.[13] She also made her Diamond League debut in August 2023, finishing fourth in the 800 metres in Zürich.[14]

Aikens won the 800m at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, on June 24, 2024.[15] She competed in the 800 metres at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris in August 2024, reaching the semi-finals.[16]

International competitions

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Representing the  United States
Year Competition Venue Position Event Time
2023 World Athletics Championships Budapest, Hungary 6th 800 m 1:57.73
2024 Olympic Games Paris, France 10th (sf) 800 m 1:58.20

National championships

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Year Competition Venue Position Event Time
2019 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Des Moines, Iowa 7th 800m 2:04.39
2021 Olympic Trials Eugene, Oregon 9th 800m 2:12.87
2022 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships Spokane, Washington 7th 800m 2:05.88
USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Eugene, Oregon 11th 800m 2:01.90
2023 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships Albuquerque, New Mexico 1st 800m 2:00.16
USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Eugene, Oregon 1st 800m 1:59.50
2024 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships Albuquerque, New Mexico 3rd 800m 2:00.90
USA Olympic Trials Eugene, Oregon 1st 800m 1:57.36

Personal life

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Akins is also a musician who records her own music.[17]

References

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  1. ^ "Nia Akins". World Athletics. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  2. ^ "Nia Akins". Pennathletics.com. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  3. ^ Monahan, Terry (June 27, 2019). "RB grad making strides on track, in nursing". San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  4. ^ "I'm an All-American Runner and Ivy League Grad. I Still Can't Escape Racism". Runners World. June 11, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  5. ^ "Akins Earns Silver in 800 at NACAC U23 Championships". Pennathletics. July 6, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  6. ^ "Nia Akins runs second-fastest 800m in NCAA history". Penntoday. February 16, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  7. ^ Xu, Kathryn (July 4, 2020). "After joining a professional track team, Nia Akins adjusts to life in Seattle". thedp.com. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  8. ^ "2022 Ed Murphey Classic Results – Final American Track League Meet Results". Lets Run. July 30, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  9. ^ "Sam Prakel Completes the Double*, Nikki Hiltz, Nia Akins Get First USATF Track Titles". Lets Run. February 19, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  10. ^ Gault, Jonathan (June 30, 2023). "2023 USAs W800/1500 Preview: Will Sinclaire Johnson Repeat & How Does Athing Mu Do in the 1500?". Lets Run. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  11. ^ "Women's 800m Results: USATF Outdoor Championships 2023". Watch Athletics. July 7, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  12. ^ Gault, Jonathan (August 7, 2023). "USATF Announces 2023 World Championship Roster". letsrun.com. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  13. ^ "Women's 800m Results: World Athletics Championships 2023". World Athletics. August 23, 2023. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  14. ^ "Women's 800m Results: Weltklasse Zurich Diamond League 2023". Watch Athletics. August 31, 2023. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  15. ^ "Olympic champion Mu falls in US trials & will miss Paris". BBC Sport. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  16. ^ "Women's 800m Results - Paris Olympic Games 2024 Athletics". Watch Athletics. August 5, 2024. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  17. ^ Iorio Adelson, Karen (January 18, 2022). "Everything Pro Runner Nia Akins Wears on the Run". nymag.com. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
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