Ghana’s Relay Team earns no medal, faces disqualification

Team Ghana’s campaign in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris has come to a disappointing end, with no medals earned.

The 4×100 relay team, consisting of Abdul-Rasheed Saminu, Ibrahim Fuseini, Benjamin Azamati, and Joe Paul Amoah, failed to advance to the final, as they were disqualified during Thursday’s race.

The team had been placed in Heat 2 alongside Jamaica, Canada, Germany, China, Liberia, Brazil, and France.

Their chances of progressing were hindered by a messy baton changeover, which caused the team to finish sixth in the race. Even before their disqualification, their position would have meant elimination from the Olympics.

However, a subsequent review revealed a late baton change during the final leg, leading to the team’s disqualification.

The disqualification of the 4×100 relay team marks the end of Ghana’s Olympic campaign, in which the nation was unable to add to its tally of five previous Olympic medals.

Earlier in the Olympics, Ghanaian swimmer Harry Stacey was eliminated after finishing seventh in the Men’s 100m Freestyle. His performance did not allow him to advance to the semi-finals, as he was making his debut appearance at the Olympics.

Similarly, Joselle Alice Mensah narrowly missed out on a semi-final spot despite a commendable performance in the Women’s 50m Freestyle, where she placed fourth with a time of 26.81.

In the high jump event, Rose Amoanimaa Yeboah was unsuccessful in her attempt to clear the 1.92m bar, resulting in her elimination. Yeboah had started the event strongly, clearing the 1.83m bar on her second attempt. She then successfully cleared the 1.88m bar with ease.

As the reigning African champion, Yeboah was expected to progress to the final, but despite the target being below her personal best of 1.97m, she was unable to clear the 1.92m bar in three attempts.

In the 100m race, both Azamati and Saminu managed to reach the semi-finals, giving respectable performances. However, their efforts fell short of securing spots in the final.

Ghana’s participation in the 2024 Olympics ended without any medals, reflecting the challenges faced by the athletes in their quest for glory on the international stage.