John Ampomah

John Ampomah holds Ghana's javelin record of 83.09 metres, set at the Soga-Nana Memorial in Cape Coast, and captained Ghana's team at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Record breaker

Born on 11 July 1990, he burst onto the scene in March 2012 in Tamale, breaking a 19-year-old national record with 69.00 metres. He improved it twice more that year, winning silver at the African Championships. While studying in the United States, first at Wiley College and later Middle Tennessee State University, he kept pushing the record: 74.42 metres to win the 2014 NAIA title, 76.50 metres at Auburn in April 2015, and then 81.55 metres later that month.

Medals

He won javelin silver at the 2012 and 2016 African Championships and the 2015 African Games, and was named Ghana's male athlete of the year by the sports writers in 2012 and 2015.