"He needs to really work on his start", "He’s an accelerator"- Fans react to NCAA Champion Joseph Fahnbulleh winning the 100m at African Championships

African Games bronze medallist Joseph Fahnbulleh upset home talent Emmanuel Eseme to win the men’s 100m at the African Championships in Douala, Cameroon. Despite his win over the Cameroonian, Fahnbulleh’s fans have expressed concern about his starts from the blocks.

The Liberian sprint king stopped the clock at 10.13 to cross the finish line ahead of Eseme, the African Games 100m champion, who clocked 10.15 for a second-place finish.

In the race, Fahnbulleh had a slow start from the blocks but gained momentum as the race intensified to take the top prize home, and as such, Eseme had to settle for second.

Reacting to the video shared by Track and Field Gazette on X, fans were amazed by how the 22-year-old came from behind and beat the 30-year-old at the finish line.

Track and Field Gazette captioned the video:

"Watch Joseph Fahnbulleh win the African men's 100m title in Cameroon, clocking a time of 10.13s ahead of Emmanuel Eseme in 10.15s. That finish!"

They added:

"AFRICAN 100m CHAMPION!!! Joseph Fahnbulleh put on a big show, coming from way behind the field to snatch GOLD in the men’s 100m final at the African Championships in a time of 10.13s. He defeated homeboy Emmanuel Eseme who ran 10.15s and Benjamin Richardson in 10.17s."

One fan reacted to the video on X, saying:

"If this guy can improve on his start for sure he will be a sub 9.85 guy and the World is yours at the 200…. I see him consistently going lower than 19.70 rivalring Lyles."

Another fan added:

"His finish is fantastic 🔥"

Another fan noted that he might never improve his start since he had been training for years. The fan said:

"If he was ever going to improve that start - after all these years - he’d have done it. we just have to accept it’s not going to get any better. it’s just soooo bad.😂😭"

"He needs to really work on his start," one X user commented.

"Something tells me that he's not finished with that finish," another added.

"Wanna see what Joe could do in one of those 150m straight races," read a comment from another fan.

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Joseph Fahnbulleh anchors Liberia’s 4x100m relay team to Paris 2024 Olympics

World Athletics Championships Oregon22 - Day Four

Sprint sensation Joseph Fahnbulleh was in a class of his own as he anchored the Liberian 4x100m relay team to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics at the World Athletics Relays in the Bahamas last month.

The Liberian sprinter showcased his skills to secure a second-place finish at the global showpiece.

Qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics in the relay marks the first time in 24 years that a Liberian relay team has competed at such a global level.

“This win means a lot to me because Liberia has not been represented at the Olympic Games in the 4×100 relay since 2000, which is 24 years ago,” Liberia’s head athletics coach Sayon Cooper said, as per Front Page Africa.

Fahnbulleh hopes to improve his performance and propel the relay team to greater heights in Paris. In his debut at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, he made it through to the final of the 200m and then finished fifth in the final.

He has cemented his place as one of Africa’s rising sprinters and as the Olympic Games beckon, Fahnbulleh is working hard to ensure he does not disappoint his fans.