Ghanaian Decathlete Sensation Atsu Nyamadi, Crowned Overall Athlete of the Year award at Wiley College

You know you have an athlete of immense potential when a decathlete still manages to triple jump over 15m; an event he is familiar with but does not train for. This is part of the ongoing story of Ghana’s new decathlon sensation, Atsu Nyamadi.

Twenty year old Nyamadi, current national record holder in the decathlon, has been crowned the Overall Athlete of the Year at Wiley College, Texas after scoring 52 points to help his college win their first track and field Conference Championship.

Atsu, did not compete in the decathlon during the Red River Conference Championships (April 25-26). Rather, he was entered in 7 individual events. He secured victories in the discus throw and the triple jump, second place finishes in the shot put and javelin throw, as well impressive performances in the 110m hurdles, long jump and high jump.

This is Nyamadi’s 2nd full year competing in the Decathlon after a calculated gamble by the GAA to debut him in the 2012 Senior African Championships (he was still a junior) even though he did not know how to pole vault or hurdle. At the Red River Conference Championships, the former T. I. Ahmadiya Secondary School student also scored additional points by running on the 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams that finished 3rd and 2nd respectively.

Atsu’s Ghanaian counterpart John Ampomah, who holds the national javelin record, contributed an additional 19 points by winning the javelin throw event and coming in 4th and 5thin the discus and hammer respectively.