South African sprint star Benjamin Richardson is targeting a future in Irish colours, with ambitions to compete at the 2027 World Athletics Championships and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The 22-year-old, who was born in Dublin in Ireland, was adopted and raised by his grandparents from Ghana, grandfather Osam and grandmother Beatrice when he was only three months old and brought to South Africa.
Dual citizenship
Richardson attended Nelspruit Primary School, TuksSport High School, and studied at the University of Pretoria in Pretoria.
He holds dual citizenship and has had his switch of allegiance confirmed.
According to the World Athletics website, Richardson will be eligible to represent Ireland from 6 August 2027.
The 2027 World Athletics Championships will be held from 11 to 19 September in Beijing, China.
Under World Athletics regulations, athletes who change national allegiance must serve a mandatory waiting period.
The exact duration varies, but in Richardson’s case was three years.
The countdown began after Richardson last represented South Africa at the Paris Olympics in August 2024.
Proven on the Big Stage
Richardson built an impressive résumé in South African colours:
- Three medals across the 2021 and 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships
- National senior 200m champion
- Bronze medalist at the African Athletics Championships
- 100m semi-finalist at the Paris Olympics
Richardson competed in the 100 metres at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he reached the semi-finals.
Unfortunately, in the 200m heats, Richardson pulled his hamstring and had to walk the rest of the race, finishing over 30 seconds slower than his heatmates, then withdraw from the repechage round and the rest of the 2024 Olympics
He has produced elite-level times, including a 9.86-second 100m, the second fastest ever by a South African behind only Akani Simbine (9.82).
With a 19.99-second 200m personal best, Richardson joins an exclusive group of South African sprinters- alongside Simbine, Wayde van Niekerk, and Shaun Maswanganyi – to break both the 10-second and 20-second barriers in the 100m and 200m respectively.
One-Time Switch
World Athletics rules stipulate that athletes can change allegiance only once to discourage nation-hopping.
Therefore he will no longer be eligible to represent South Africa.
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