Israeli-born sprinter Blessing Akwasi Afrifah, of Ghanaian descent, is making headlines at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, representing Israel with remarkable performances. Overcoming significant citizenship challenges, Afrifah finished fifth in heat six of the men’s 200m event, earning a spot in the repechage round—a second chance for runners to qualify for the semifinals.

Born and raised in Tel Aviv to Ghanaian Akan immigrant parents, Afrifah faced numerous obstacles to secure Israeli citizenship. His father worked at the Ghanaian embassy in Israel, and his mother was a cleaner. Despite being born in Israel, Afrifah struggled with being treated as a foreigner. After a long battle, including surviving a deportation attempt in 2010 and appealing to the government, Afrifah finally obtained Israeli citizenship in 2020 and served in the Israel Defense Forces in 2022.

Afrifah’s athletic prowess came to the forefront in August 2022, when he defeated favorite Letsile Tebogo in the men’s 200 meters at the world Under-20 championships in Colombia, clocking in at 19.96 seconds. This victory marked a significant milestone, as Tebogo had previously set a junior world record in the 100m. Afrifah continued his ascent, becoming the first Israeli to win a gold medal at the U-23 European Championship in 2023 and setting the Israeli national record for the 200m with a time of 20.95 seconds.