On Saturday night at the Crofoot Shootout in Lubbock, Texas, Ghanaian sprinter James Dadzie established a new national record in the men's 200-meter dash with a time of 19.79 seconds (+1.3 meters per second).
He accomplished the feat by shaving 0.29 seconds off Joseph Amoah's three-year-old national record of 20.08 seconds and is the first Ghanaian athlete to complete a 200m race in less than 20 seconds.
The time qualifies him for the upcoming World Athletics Championships, but the wind readings will need to be confirmed.
The former University of Ghana student also excelled in the 100-meter event of the same competition, clocking a time of 9.89 seconds (w +3.2), which is the quickest time ever recorded by a Ghanaian under any conditions.
Dadzie ascends from 39th to fifth on Africa's all-time 200m list, trailing Namibia's Frank Fredericks (19.68s, August 1996), South Africa's Clarence Munyai (19.69s, March 2018), Nigeria's Divine Oduduru (19.69s, June 2019), and Botswana's Isaac Makwala (19.77s, July 2017).
Prior to breaking the record, Dadzie began the 2023 Ross Black Open in New Mexico with a 200m personal best time of 20.24 seconds (w+1.9).
Earlier this year, he set a personal record of 10.07 seconds in the 100m at the Oliver Jackson championship.