Ghana’s hopes of a breakthrough in the men’s 100m at the Paris 2024 Olympics were dashed as Benjamin Azamati and compatriot Saminu missed out on the final.
Benjamin Azamati, 26, fell short of reaching his first Olympic 100m final, finishing ninth in his semi-final with a time of 10.17 seconds. Despite a strong performance in the heats, where he finished behind the world’s fastest man, Kishane Thompson, Azamati could not advance further.
Jamaican sprinter Thompson’s compatriot Oblique Seville and American Noah Lyles secured their places in the final with times of 9.81 and 9.83 seconds, respectively. Great Britain’s Louie Hinchliffe also qualified, finishing third in the semi-finals with a time of 9.97 seconds.
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Ghana’s second representative, Saminu, also showed promise in the semis with a time of 10.05 seconds but fell short of a final berth, finishing seventh.
Both Azamati and Saminu will now turn their attention to the 4x100m relay and 200m respectively, where they hope to make a significant impact.
The absence of Ghanaian sprinters in the 100m final marks a setback, but the focus will now shift to their performances in other events as the Olympic Games continue.
