Eugene Amo-Dadzie seems to live a simple boring life until he gets on the track and unlocks his superpower.
The father and husband works a normal 9-to-5 as an accountant in London but also happens to be one of the fastest men in the world. He now has his eyes set on Paris and the 2024 Olympics.
Humble Beginnings
Amo-Dadzie didn’t start seriously training until he was in his mid-20s. He ran throughout grade school and reportedly was clocking 11.3 seconds the 100 meters at 17. That was a good time, but not impressive enough to compete with the top juniors. He says by then he was starting to get dominated in competitions and that led him to drift away from the track.
He eventually went on to focus on his studies and went to become an accountant. Amo-Dadzie and his friend stumbled across an athletics track in east London as they were walking home from a recreational soccer match.
“That was the moment something in my mind switched and I didn’t have an answer for him,” says Amo-Dadzie to CNN Sports. “I didn’t have any reason to give him as to why I’d never tried it.”
He then began working with coach Steve Fudge in 2017 and started taking his training seriously.
Road to Stardom
In 2019, Amo-Dadzie ran his personal best time of 10.55 seconds in the 100 meters. The time wasn’t run at an official race, only during training. His times steadily improved, and he eventually began to compete professionally.
Later in 2019, he ran at the Lee Valley competition in London and posted a time of 21.79 in the 200 meters. He also ran a time of 10.2 seconds in 2021 and 10.05 in 2022 in the 100 meter event at the same competition.
In June 2023, the now-31-year-old earned his first international win in March at Stadion Eggenberg in Austria. He ran a time of 9.93 seconds in the 100, which is tied for the 76th-fastest all time. The time also now sits second behind Linford Christie’s British record of 9.87 seconds.
“For me, it’s very much believing and trusting in the talent that God has given me and knowing that I belong in those spaces.” said Amo-Dadzie to CNN Sports.
His eyes are now set on competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics. He would first have to finish in the top two at the British national championship in August. He then would be off to the World Championships in Budapest from Aug. 19-27 to get his chance to qualify for the Olympics.
