Blessing Akwasi Afrifah in the finals of the men’s 200 meters race during the 2022European Championships. Photo: Sandro Halank via Wikimedia Commons

Israeli sprinter Blessing Akwasi Afrifah won the gold medal in the men’s 200 meter relay race at the 2023 European Athletics Under-23 Championships that recently concluded in Espoo, Finland.

The 19-year-old athlete completed the race in Leppävaara stadium in 20.67 seconds. Raphael Bouju from The Netherlands won second place, finishing right behind Afrifah with a time of 20.68 seconds.

Afrifah was born in Tel Aviv in 2003 to parents from the West African country of Guinea. He showcased his talents in races in Israel, and by 2019 he ranked second at the Israel Championship for adults in the 200 meter category, but was only able to represent the country in international competitions starting in 2020 when he was granted citizenship following a lengthy legal battle.

Last year, he won a gold medal in the men’s 200 meter race at the Under-20s World Athletic Championships in Colombia and also set a new championship record time.

He finished the race in 19.96 seconds and won Israel’s second gold medal ever in the championship. His victory also marked only the fourth time ever that a sprinter under the age of 20 finished a 200-meter race in under 20 seconds.