SA Sprint Star Benjamin Richardson Switches Allegiance to Ireland, Targets 2028 Olympics

• One of South Africa’s fastest-ever sprinters is preparing to compete under a new flag on the global stage
• A confirmed nationality switch has reshaped his Olympic ambitions ahead of Los Angeles 2028
• The move signals a significant shift for South African sprinting as a rising star departs the national setup

A South African sprinting sensation is set to switch his allegiance from his adopted nation to Ireland, where he aims to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Benjamin Richardson, 22, attended school in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, before furthering his studies at the University of Pretoria. He was born in Dublin, Ireland, and was adopted by his Ghanaian grandparents, Osam and Beatrice, at just three months old before being raised in South Africa.

Richardson holds dual citizenship in South Africa and Ireland, and his switch of allegiance has now been confirmed. According to World Athletics, he will be eligible to represent Ireland from 6 August 2027. He is also in line to feature at the 2027 World Athletics Championships, scheduled to take place from 11 to 19 September in Beijing, China.

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Career achievements and rise in South African sprinting

Richardson’s breakthrough came in 2021 when he announced himself on the global stage at the World Athletics U20 Championships:

Silver medal in the 100m

Gold medal in the 4x100m relay

Part of a world U20 record-breaking relay team (38.51s)

He followed this with another podium finish in 2022:

Bronze medal in the 100m at the World U20 Championships in California. Before stepping into senior competition, Richardson had already built a reputation as one of the most consistent performers in global junior athletics.

Domestically, he also made his mark early: double South African U20 champion in the 100m and 200m. Transitioned to senior competition while still a teenager. By 2023, he had earned selection for the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, making him one of the youngest athletes in the squad.

Watch the video below:

His personal bests underline his elite status:

100m: 9.86 seconds

200m: 19.99 seconds

Watch the video below posted on X:

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The 9.86 places him as the second-fastest South African in history behind Akani Simbine. He is also part of an exclusive group of South African sprinters to break both the 10-second and 20-second barriers.

In 2024, he continued to impress on the continental and global stage:

Bronze medal at the African Championships (100m)

Helped South Africa qualify for the Olympics at the World Relays

Reached the 100m semi-finals at the 2024 Paris Olympics

He also competed in the 200m in Paris but suffered a hamstring injury, which forced him to withdraw from the remainder of the event.

Waiting period and impact on Team South Africa

Under World Athletics regulations, athletes who change national allegiance must serve a mandatory waiting period. In Richardson’s case, the period is three years, which began after his last appearance for South Africa at the Paris Olympics in August 2024.

Once the switch is complete, he will no longer be eligible to represent South Africa. South African athletics fans are likely to be disappointed to lose one of the country’s brightest sprint prospects. Richardson was widely seen as a key figure for the future, alongside established star Akani Simbine and rising talent Bayanda Walaza, who continue to carry the nation’s sprinting hopes on the global stage.

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How much Simbine earned after beating Omanyala

Briefly News previously reported that South African sprint star Akani Simbine walked away with a huge sum of money after clocking a world-leading time of 9.90 seconds to defeat African champion Ferdinand Omanyala at the Botswana Continental Tour.

Simbine’s blistering performance marked the fastest 100m time globally so far this year, surpassing Bayanda Walaza’s 9.99s set last month.

Source: Briefly News