Ghanaian sprinter Abdul-Rasheed Saminu has successfully advanced to the semi-finals of the men’s 100m event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, securing his spot alongside compatriot Benjamin Azamati.
Saminu completed his heat on Saturday morning with a commendable third-place finish, clocking in at 10.06 seconds. Despite leading initially, he was overtaken just before the finish line by Nigeria’s Kayinsola Ajayi, who clinched first place, and Italy’s defending Olympic champion, Marcell Jacobs.
At just 22 years old, Saminu is making his Olympic debut and will compete in the men’s 200m event.
His journey to the Olympics in the 100m category was challenging, as he did not initially meet the entry standard of 10.00 seconds. However, he secured his place through world rankings, achieving the 54th spot by the qualifying deadline on June 30, 2024.
Throughout the 2024 season, Saminu has demonstrated impressive performance.
He secured gold at the American Athletic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a swift 10.03-second sprint and recorded a wind-aided 9.95 seconds at the South Florida Invitational.
Additionally, Saminu earned silver at the Tom Jones Memorial with a time of 10.13 seconds and achieved a personal best of 10.02 seconds at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships, where he finished fifth overall.
The semi-finals for the men’s 100m event are scheduled to take place on Sunday, where Saminu aims to further showcase his athletic prowess on the global stage.
