Aquil Abdullah

Aquil Hashim Abdullah (born Aquil ibn Michael X. Shumate; June 20, 1973) is an American rower who was the first African-American male to qualify for the Summer Olympics in the sport of rowing. He was the first African-American rower to win the Diamond Sculls race at the Henley Royal Regatta in 2000.[1] He was also the first African-American male to win a rowing national championship in 1996, when he won the single sculls competition.[2] He attended George Washington University. He co-authored a book with Chris Ingraham titled Perfect Balance in 2001, after his failure to qualify for the 2000 Summer Olympics.[1]

Aquil Abdullah
Personal information
Birth nameAquil ibn Michael X. Shumate
Full nameAquil Hashim Abdullah
BornJune 20, 1973 (1973-06-20) (age 50)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Medal record
Men's rowing
Representing the  United States
Pan American Games
Silver medal – second place 1999 Winnipeg Single sculls

Rowing career

Abdullah won the silver medal in the single sculls at the 1999 Pan-American Games.[3]

In 2000, he won the Diamond Challenge Sculls (the premier event for single sculls) at the Henley Royal Regatta, defeating Simon Goodbrand by two-thirds of a boat length[1] Abdullah was a member of the U.S. 2001 World Championship Rowing Team.[4][5] but missed qualifying for the Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia by 0.33 of a second.[6]

In 2002, he was the single sculls winner in the 2002 United States national rowing championship.

2004 Summer Olympics

Abdullah paired with US Navy Officer Henry Nuzum for the 2004 Qualified Olympic Small Boat Trials in Windsor, NJ. Their qualifying time was 6:23.59.[7] Abdullah and Nuzum were also the first American men to qualify for the Olympic final in double sculls for twenty years.[6]

At the 2004 Summer Olympics, Abdullah and Nuzum finished sixth in their race, 3.93 seconds slower that the bronze medal pace.[6]

Personal life

Abdullah was born in Washington, DC, on June 20, 1973.[6][8] Abdullah currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts, where he works as a software engineer. He attended Woodrow Wilson High School in Northwest Washington, D.C.. Woodrow Wilson is the only public school in DC with a rowing program.[9] He played on the football team, but began rowing in his senior year. He took a rowing scholarship to George Washington University and attended from 1992 to 1996. He majored in physics.[1][10] He also plays the saxophone.

He was born with the name Aquil ibn Michael X. Shumate. When his father, Michael Shumate, converted to Islam when Aquil was 6, he changed his last name to Abdullah. However, he is now Catholic.[1]

Abdullah worked with a program in Boston named Mandela Crew. Mandela Crew is a program aimed at exposing minority youths from Roxbury to the sport of rowing.[4]

References
  1. Berkow, Ira (21 February 2003). "ROWING: Rower With Muslim Name Is an All-American Suspect". The New York Times.
  2. "Perseverance Pays Off in African-American Rower's Quest for Olympics". Voice of America.
  3. Powell, Camille (31 July 1999). "Abdullah Wears Silver Medal--and Clothes--Proudly". The Washington Post.
  4. Haynes, Monica. "National Rowing Champ's Credo: Hard Work". Post-Gazette.
  5. "Diamond Challenge Sculls, List of past winners". Henley Royal Regatta. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  6. Clarke, Liz (22 August 2004). "No Medal, but Abdullah is 'Pleased". The Washington Post.
  7. "Abdullah Makes History At the US Rowing Trials". The Washington Post. Associated Press. 1 July 2004.
  8. "Aquil Abdullah". World Rowing.
  9. Norris, Michele. "Abdullah: A First Among Olympic Rowers". National Public Radio.
  10. "Aquil Abdullah". GW Athletics. George Washington University.
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