Maame Biney is an American speed skater originally from Ghana.
It is always a pleasure to see Africans in the diaspora doing well and representing Africa well.
African-born American Maame Biney made history in the United States when she qualified for the 2018 Speed Skating Short Track World Cup competitions. Biney won the 500 meter bronze at the 2017 World Junior Short Track Speed Skating Championships.
Also in August 2017, the always laughing and happy Maame Biney gave a good presentation that made her stand out among older and more experienced skaters. During qualifiers for the Winter Olympics, she won three out of six finals in three days.
The record holder loves to laugh as much as she enjoys crying… Who would have thought the two extremes could ever come together.
1. Ghanaians
Maame Biney was born on January 28, 2000 in Accra Ghana. She spent her early childhood in Rockville, Maryland, Ghana. She later moved to the United States with her father when she was five years old.
Leaving the house wasn’t easy for 5-year-old Biney. Over time, she adjusted to the new system, but still missed her friends.
Biney hopes to one day become a chemical engineer. The Titanic film is one of her absolute favorites.
2. A US record breaker
On Saturday, December 16, 2017, Maame Biney became the second black speed skater on a US Olympic team in Kearns, Utah.
Shani Davis was the first black person to do so. At 19, he qualified for the short track team in 2002. He then switched to long track and won four medals, including two gold medals.
Maame Biney with her most recent win has the same after 1998 Madagascar-born biathlete Dan Westover, the American is the first black woman to qualify for a US speedskating team with two wins in the 500 meters.
3. Daddy’s Girl
It’s always been Biney and her father. Not much is known about her mother and the family itself.
But during her move to the United States and her ice skating training, her father played an important role in these crucial phases.
From one of her interviews it emerged that her father personally enrolled her in a training class. Luckily it was all in the young lady’s favor as she turned out to be a natural player. To this day, Kweku, Biney’s father, still shows support for her baby.
After her win, Biney dedicated her success to her father, whom she believed to be instrumental in her victories today.
4. Favorite Quote
For someone who practically loves to laugh, it’s no surprise that the world’s most popular quote, ” Laugh ’til you can’t laugh anymore. ” “
Biney is a joyful skater who was rarely seen without a smile on her face.
5. Olympic Games 2018
Maame was the first black woman on the US short track team and the first black woman to contest either of the US team’s two Olympic speedskating rosters. She competed in the 2018 Winter Olympics.
She briefly led the race out of the heats. But unfortunately she dropped out of the competition and finished last in her 1,500 meter short course heat.
She finished in a time of 2 minutes, 31.819 seconds, just under two seconds behind third and final heat qualifier Valeria Maltais of Canada. Therefore, she failed to conquer a slow start in her quarterfinals.
Despite the end of her pioneering run at the Winter Olympics, the American athlete is grateful to be part of the game.
According to her, although her Winter Olympics dreams seem to have ended, the fact that she took part gives her joy as she feels she has inspired many women, including African American girls and people of other races, to be brave enough to do what they can and thrive at it.
6. She is focused
Maame Biney never loses focus on the training ground and does so with her chronic and infectious laugh.
She’s just a picture of a purposeful teenager who ultimately enjoys doing what she does best.