Ikem Billy

Ikem G Billy (born 25 January 1964) is a British former middle-distance runner who specialised in the 800 metres. He was the bronze medallist at the 1985 IAAF World Indoor Games 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 on two occasions and England at the 1990 Commonwealth Games.

Biography Billy grew in the Wirral and took up running at an early age, first representing England at the age of thirteen. 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. 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, taking a bronze medal at the inaugural event. He injured himself in 1986, which disrupted his career for a two and half years.

Billy defeated Coe at the 1990 Commonwealth Games, but was still out of the medals in fifth place. The last major outing of Billy's career was the 1991 IAAF World Indoor Championships but he was far from his best form, being eliminated in the heats with a time of 1:49.09 minutes.

International competitions

National titles AAA Championships 800 m: 1989 AAA Indoor Championships 800 m: 1985 British Universities Athletics Championships 400 m: 1989 English Schools' Athletics Championships 800 m: 1983 AAA Junior Indoor Championships 800 m: 1983