Early on a Sunday morning, Eugene Amo-Dadzie, known as the self-proclaimed “world’s fastest accountant,” was awakened by a knock on his front door. Despite feeling groggy from his recent life-changing trip to Austria, he eagerly leaped out of bed to greet his unexpected visitors.
Amo-Dadzie’s excitement grew when he recognized the UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) officers at his doorstep, requesting a urine sample. “Seeing their credentials got me really excited,” Amo-Dadzie exclaimed. “It’s a validation of my achievement.”
At the age of 30, Amo-Dadzie is a fresh face in British sprinting, breaking records and defying expectations. Despite only starting athletics at 26, his astonishing 9.93-second performance in Graz, Austria, last week solidified his position as the fastest 100m runner in Europe this year, surpassing all others by a significant margin. Additionally, his time ranks him fourth on the all-time British list.
Considering his accomplishments as a full-time accountant without any sponsors or financial support, Amo-Dadzie humorously appeals, “If you happen to know anyone at Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Puma, Asics, or any other company, please send them my way!”
Amo-Dadzie’s 9.93 seconds:
- Joint-fourth fastest British male of all time
- Fastest European time of the season so far
- Joint-13th fastest man in the world this year
- Reece Prescod is the only other Briton under 10 seconds this year
Amo-Dadzie’s athletics journey comprises two distinct beginnings, with the second, and more significant one, occurring in the summer of 2018. It was during this time that he and his lifelong friend accidentally discovered a local track event after a football game in east London.
As they watched the 100m race, Amo-Dadzie’s friend turned to him and straightforwardly remarked, “You could wear spikes and surpass these guys. Why haven’t you given it a proper try before?”
Amo-Dadzie couldn’t provide a substantial answer. Despite never receiving formal training or joining a local club, he had always possessed speed, competing for his secondary school and achieving a personal best of 11.3 seconds.
His intention to join the athletics team while studying at the University of Nottingham faded away amidst the distractions of student life. “Let’s just say track and field quickly became less important on my list of priorities,” he laughs.
While his friends playfully teased him for utilizing his exceptional speed on opposing defenders in amateur football, Amo-Dadzie was content observing athletics from a distance, occasionally convincing himself that he could have succeeded if only he had fully committed. However, on that afternoon in east London, he finally made a belated decision to give it a shot.
