Overview
- Agyekum ran 47.45 seconds at the London Diamond League last Saturday to shave three hundredths off Harald Schmid’s 1982 German record and place himself among the world elite.
- The performance is the latest highlight in a summer when several long-standing German men’s records have fallen, including marks set by Robert Farken and Mohamed Abdilaahi.
- Coaches say Agyekum’s move to Frankfurt’s 400m-hurdles group in 2022 and a coaching handover to Christian Kupper last year were decisive steps in his development.
- Experts credit the surge to years of rebuilding and professionalization of German athletics—better coaching, diagnostics, training groups and sports science—rather than to equipment or track advances alone.
- Agyekum plans to target a medal at the European Championships in Birmingham and coaches still see room to gain in basic speed, hurdle technique and strength.