Israeli athlete Blessing Afrifah successfully defended his European U23 200-meter championship title this week in Bergen, Norway. The 21-year-old, born and raised in Israel to Ghanaian parents, secured the gold medal with a winning time of 20.64 seconds, a performance that matched his gold-winning run from last year.
Following his win, Afrifah wrapped himself in the Israeli flag and expressed happiness and pride in representing the country.
“First of all, I am very, very happy,” he stated. “I am happy to finish the championship with the Israeli flag on me, it is an honor for me. I am happy that I succeeded in bringing a little light, a little happiness in these difficult moments. I am truly happy. Happy to defend my title. There is no one happier than me.”
He also highlighted the importance of his victory, saying, “I feel I’m standing for a community. Israel is a country that [some] countries hate, so it’s an honor to represent. I want to prove [anti-Israel slander] is not true and Israel is different, and I’m proving it through sports.”
He also reflected on the difficulties he faced before receiving Israeli citizenship a few years prior, which had prevented him from competing internationally for Israel.
I was prevented from flying abroad and representing the Israeli national team
“It was not easy at all, I was prevented from flying abroad and representing the Israeli national team in international competitions,” said Afrifah. “It was very, very difficult for me, but I really fought for it, to represent the country like I always wanted and dreamed. The citizenship brought the ‘boost’ in my career, and here I am representing the state and bringing medals like I always wanted.”
This win marks Afrifah’s second straight European U23 200m title, following his initial win in 2023. He previously won the World Athletics U20 Championships in 2022.