Leonard_Myles-Mills
Leonard Myles-Mills
Ghanaian sprinter (born 1973)
Leonard ("Leo") Myles-Mills (born May 9, 1973, in Accra, Greater Accra Region) is a Ghanaian former athlete who specialized in the 100 metres. He ran a personal best of 9.98 seconds for the event in 1998, becoming the first Ghanaian to break the 10-second barrier. His best of 6.45 seconds for the 60 metres is an African record. Myles-Mills twice represented his country at the Summer Olympics and also at the Commonwealth Games. He was a two-time NCAA Men's 100 m dash champion while running for Brigham Young University.
His brother John Myles-Mills was also a sprint athlete.[2]
He has won a gold medal at the 1999 All-Africa Games, a silver medal at the 2003 All-Africa Games and a bronze medal at the 1998 African Championships. In 1999 he set a new African indoor record in 60 metres with 6.45 seconds.[3] His personal best over 100 metres; 9.98 seconds was a Ghanaian record until Benjamin Azamati broke it by running a time of 9.97 seconds in 100 meters at the Texas relays on 26 March 2021.[4]
Participating in the 2004 Summer Olympics, he achieved a third place in the 100 metres, thus securing qualification from his heat in a season's best time. Entering the second round, he managed to qualify through to the semi-final, following a third place in the race and recording a further improvement upon his season's best. He finished the semi-final in sixth place, thus failing to secure qualification to the final.[5]
Myles-Mills is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[6]
