Edward Nketia

Eddie Osei-Nketia grew up in New Zealand and Canberra, winning many junior and senior Australian 100m and 200m titles. He first competed internationally for New Zealand at the 2019 World Championships. After dabbling in rugby union and American football, he has excelled since returning to athletics in 2024 on scholarship at the University of Southern California. After not being selected by New Zealand for the Tokyo Olympics and 2022 Commonwealth Games, he sought the opportunity to represent Australia and in December 2025 became eligible to represent the green and gold. In June 2026 he was named for his Australian team debut at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. In 2026 he has run a series of very fast wind assisted 100m times, two under the current Australian 100m record. His father Gus represented New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games (1994) and Olympic Games (1996).

This profile of Eddie Osei-Nketia is best written as a timeline.

Eddie Osei-Nketia

2001 – born and raised on the Whangaparāoa Peninsula, north of Auckland. Parents Helena Opoku and Gus Nketia. The eldest of three siblings.

2010 – aged nine moves to Canberra for better sporting and educational opportunities

2014 – aged 13 took up rugby, making the ACT U16 squad

2016 – aged 15 Australian All Schools U16 100m champion

2017 – Australian U18 Junior and Australian All Schools U18 100m champion. PB 10.51

2018 – Australian U18 Junior and Australian All Schools U18 100m champion. SB 10.52

2019 – Wins Australian/NZL/Oceania senior 100m titles, breaks NZL U18/19/20 100m (10.19) and 200m (20.76) records

2019 – relocates to Wellington to finish school (Year 12) and boards at Scots College. Goal was to fulfill passion for rugby. Although his intention was to play for Scots College’s First XV, Eddie did not train with the team. He did non-contact training drills centred on ball skills, in conjunction with his sprint program. He was coached by Gary Henley-Smith, a former NZL sprinter who competed at the Commonwealth Games).

2019 – competes for NZL in 100m heat at Doha world championships

2020 – Wins NZL 100m and 200m titles

2021 – Second Australian 100m title. Runs a PB 10.12, 0.01 seconds outside his Dad’s NZL record

2021 – Qualified for Tokyo Olympics, by ranking, but not selected by New Zealand as they did not consider he would place in the top-16. He commented on social media: “sucks and it’s unfair.”

2022 – Wins NZL 100m/200m titles, second Australian 100m title.

2022 – Not selected in NZL team for 2022 Commonwealth Games

2022 – Makes 100m semi at Eugene world championships. In heat clocked 10.08 – breaking the 28-years-old NZL open 100m record (10.11), held by his dad Gus Nketia.

2023 – Wins 100m Brisbane Track Classic, season best 10.13

2023/24 – Went to University of Hawaii to pursue an American football career as a wide receiver. Plays no Games. “University of Hawaii was just something that one day I thought, watching the Colts versus Chiefs game, I liked the athletic structure, how they move and how they play. I thought I could apply my rugby knowledge onto football. It turns out it’s just two different worlds.”

2024 – did not compete

2024 – August, commences a track scholarship at the University of Southern California (USC)

2025 – Runs first Indoor and Outdoor NCAA season for USC. Best times 10.10/9.96w (2.4), 20.24 (PB) & places 9th NCAA 100m

2025 – on December 3, becomes eligibility to represent Australia in athletics

2026 – Second Indoor and Outdoor NCAA season for USC, at the NCAA places 5th 100m & 6th 200m.

2026 – Sets PBs 100m 10.06/9.74w (5.6) and 200m 20.19, now #6 and #5 Australian all-time.

2026 – clocks four sub-10 wind assisted 100m times: 9.84w (2.8), 9.74w (5.6), 9.99w (2.5) & 9.95w (2.2). His 9.74 is the fastest time by an Australian in all-conditions. Two of the times are under the current Australian record of 9.93 held by Patrick Johnson in 2003.

“It’s crazy man, to run 9.74 even with the wind, it shows I’m getting better and can see the progress and the season isn’t over yet,” Osei-Nketia said after the performance.

“I’m really hoping this season on the back of that to get a legal PB and show I can compete. The all-conditions record is nice, but I really want that actual record.

2026 – In June selected in 100m to make his Australian team debut at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games

“I discovered that I have to be real with myself,” Osei-Nketia said. “Do I, after what I’ve been through with New Zealand, go back and put risk in my career, or do I go to Australia and see where I could go from there? I just decided Australia’s the way to go. I just am thankful to get a chance to represent Australia and just see how far I can take and go from there with that. I 100% made that decision myself. It was just the time to change rather than just waste time.”

Gus Nketia (Eddie’s dad)

1970 – born in Ghana

1990 – representing Ghana, makes the 100m semi-final at the Auckland Commonwealth Games. PB 10.56. Gus settles in New Zealand.

1993 – representing New Zealand semi 4x100m World Champs

1994 – represented New Zealand at the Victoria Commonwealth Games placing 7th in the 100m. In the heats Gus clocks 10.11 – a NZL record.

1995 – semi 100m World Champs

1996 – QF 100m Atlanta Olympics

1997 – heat 100m world champs

Hobbies: video games and watch college football…Music: Kid Cudi and Kurt Cobain…Actor: Keanu Reeves…Movies: John Wick and Dark Knight…Favorite food: chicken and chips…Hero: NFL Players Justin Jefferson, Tyreek Hill and Tom Brady; footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, and NBA legend Kobe Bryant …Education: University of Southern California, majoring in Communication (2023 – )…Famous family: Dad, Gus Nketia competed for Ghana and New Zealand at Commonwealth Games, World Championships and Olympics; brother Augustine Nketia Junior represented Australia at 2025 World Relays and World Championships…Coaches: Gus Nketia, Gary Henley-Smith (while at Scots College) and Brenton Emanuel (USC)…Nicknames: The Incredible Hulk and Fast Eddie…Weights in the gym: Squat 180kg, power clean 150kg, bench press 100kg

@ 20 July 2026 david.tarbotton@athletics.org.au