Athletics: Cameroon's Emmanuel Eseme on his way to the Worlds

 Bercy gave a verdict that resonates well beyond the borders of France on the occasion of the 9th edition of the Paris Indoor Meeting. By slamming a 6"55 in the 60m final, after flying his series, Emmanuel Eseme has reached a new level. The athlete from Stade Sottevillais 76, who also wears the colors of Sporting CF, seems to have found in the Parisian arena the ideal field of expression for his devastating power. This new personal record acts as a sesame: heading to the World Championships, where the Indomitable Lion is counting on roaring again.

From engineering to professional athletics
Yet, the fate of the one his relatives call "Alobs" was not traced in the ash. For a long time, these were the goalkeeper’s gloves that he donned on the fields of St Joseph College in Sasse. Its speed was then a massive deterrent weapon for the opposing attackers. But it is finally late, between two civil engineering classes at the National School of Public Works in Yaoundé, that the trigger occurs. Eliminated from a university football tournament, he lines up in the sprint by challenge. The continuation belongs to history: a lightning ascent that will lead him to the status of environmental engineer to that of the most successful sprinter in Cameroon.

Born on August 17, 1993 and raised in Yaoundé by his grandfather, Emmanuel Eseme Alobwede is from the department of Kupe-Muanenguba, in the Southwest region. His itinerary contrasts with the classic trajectories of the high level. The year 2018 marks the year of his revelation: hardly had he set himself firmly in athletics that Eseme already enriched his track record. Cameroon champion in the 100 m and 200 m, medalist on the continental circuit. He then participated in his first Olympics at Tokyo 2020. Learning is tough, but he catches up in 2022 by winning gold at the Islamic Solidarity Games and a silver medal (200m) at the African Championships.

Eseme crossed a historic milestone in 2023 by becoming the first Cameroonian to pass under the 10 seconds mark over 100 meters (9’96 at La Chaux-de-Fonds). That same year, he climbed onto the podium of the Diamond League in Silesia and won gold at the Games of La Francophonie and the African Games. In 2024, he confirms on the world stage with victories in the 100 m Diamond League in Marrakech and Stockholm, before reaching the semi-finals of the Olympic Games in Paris.

A commitment beyond the track
At 32 years old, the man who now tames time doesn’t forget where he comes from. In parallel with his preparation for the global deadlines, he formalized in this month of January 2026 the creation of his foundation. A way to close the loop for this engineer who now wants to build bridges towards the high level for the youth of his country. Sunday evening in Paris, Eseme did not only run fast; he showed that he still had a hunger for victories that nothing seems to be able to satisfy.