Ghanaian sprint duo Benjamin Kwaku-Azamati and Abdul-Rasheed Saminu both qualified to the semi-finals of the Men’s 100m at the ongoing Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Kwaku-Azamati was the first to be on the tracks as he was paired with the fastest athlete in 2024, Kishane Thompson, in Heat 1.
With Great Britain’s Jeremiah Azu, Thompson and Ghana’s national record holder in the middle lane, the stage was set for a showdown.
Azu’s nerves got a better of him as he made a false start, forcing officials to send him out of the race.
The standoff between the British sprinter and the officials, perhaps, got the nerves of some of the athletes with Thompson, being greencarded before the restart of the race.
The Jamaican won the heat in 10.00s with Kwaku-Azamati finsihing behind him in 10.08s.
Cuba’s Reynaldo Espinosa also nooked a place in semis with a time of 10.11s.
The Ghanaian came second to the world’s fastest man this year, Kishane Thompson of Jamaica🇯🇲.#OnuaSports #Olympics #Athletics #OnuaOlympics pic.twitter.com/OMfeT2Mn6m
— #OnuaSports (@OnuaSports) August 3, 2024
The Ghanaian was delighted with his performance, recalling how he exited in the Heats at his debut at the multi-sport event.
He told journalists he is poised to reach the finals.
Saminu stepped on the tracks four heats later.
With defending champion Marcell Lamont Jacobs to his left, the Ghanaian debutant made a time of 10.06s to finish third.
Nigerian Katinsola Ajayi won the race in 10.02s followed by the Italian.
The Ghanaian was in the same heat as the defending champion Marcell Jacobs🇮🇹.
Note, however, that the race was won by Nigerian Kayinsola Ajayi😜#OnuaSports #Olympics #Athletics #OnuaOlympics pic.twitter.com/goKq2VVBSK
— #OnuaSports (@OnuaSports) August 3, 2024
Kwaku-Azamati has been placed in the first of three semi-final races.
Men’s 100m semifinal 1 – #Paris2024
🇺🇸 Noah Lyles
🇬🇧 Louie Hinchliffe
🇯🇲 Oblique Seville
🇨🇲 Emmanuel Eseme
🇳🇬 Favour Ashe
🇻🇬 Rikkoi Brathwaite
🇬🇭 Benjamin Azamati
🇮🇹 Chituru Ali
🇿🇦 Shaun Maswanganyi #OnuaSports #OnuaOlympics— #OnuaSports (@OnuaSports) August 3, 2024
Saminu, on the other hand, will be in contention for a place in the final but with a tallk order to scale as he will be in the same raceas Thompson, African record holder Ferdinand Omanyala, Canadian Andre De Grasse and favourite Fred Kerley.
Men’s 100m Men’s 100m semifinal 3 – #Paris2024
🇺🇸 Fred Kerley
🇰🇪 Ferdinand manyala
🇯🇲 Kishane Thompson
🇬🇧 Zharnel Hughes
🇨🇦 Andre De Grasse
🇯🇵 Abdul Hakim Sani Brown
🇬🇭 Abdul-Rasheed Saminu
🇹🇭 Puripol Boonson
🇿🇦 Benjamin Richardson #OnuaSports #OnuaOlympics— #OnuaSports (@OnuaSports) August 3, 2024
