As It Happened: Azamati and Saminu’s 100m semi-final disappointment

Benjamin Azamati and Abdul-Rasheed Saminu were unable to advance to the 100m final at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Despite a promising start in the heats, Azamati struggled in the semis, finishing ninth with a time of 10.17 seconds.

Saminu, competing in his first Olympics, placed seventh in his semi-final with a time of 10.05 seconds.

Ghana will now focus on the 4x100m relay, where Azamati hopes to contribute to Ghana’s medal chances. The last Ghanaian to reach the Olympic 100m final was Aziz Zakari in 2004.

As it happened

What next?

Benjamin Azamati will now focus on assisting the Ghanaian 4x100m men’s relay team. Meanwhile, Abdul-Rasheed Saminu’s debut at the Paris 2024 Olympics has concluded, as he will not compete further in the individual events.

Disappointing day for Ghana

Both Ghanaian sprinters have failed to reach the final, meaning Aziz Zakari remains the last Ghanaian to make it to an Olympic 100m final, a feat he achieved in 2004. Benjamin Azamati finished ninth in his semi-final, running slower (10.17 seconds) than in the heats (10.08 seconds). Abdul-Rasheed Saminu, making his Olympic debut, placed seventh in a highly competitive semi-final with a time of 10.05 seconds.

Saminu out

Saminu has also not progressed to the final, as he finished seventh in his semi-final race.

RESULTS: Oblique Seville is the first man into the 100m final, winning his semi in 9.81.

1. Oblique Seville – 9.81 Q

2. Noah Lyles – 9.83 Q

3. Louie Hinchliffe – 9.97

4. Emmanuel Esome – 10.00

5. Shaun Maswanganyi – 10.02

6. Favour Oghene Tejiri Ashe – 10.08

7. Chituru Ali – 10.14

8. Rikkoi Brathwaite – 10.15

9. Benjamin Azamati – 10.17

Not the best news

Benjamin Azamati has failed to qualify for the final as he placed ninth with a time of 10.17 seconds.

Time is up!

Benjamin Azamati looks cool and relaxed ahead of the race.

Abdul-Rasheed Saminu facts

Olympic Debut: Abdul-Rasheed Saminu is making his Olympic debut at the Paris 2024 Games. This is a significant milestone in his athletics career.

Qualification: Saminu secured his spot in the Paris 2024 Olympics 100m through world rankings, finishing 54th by the end of the qualifying period on June 30, 2024, after failing to meet the entry standard.

Season Highlights: In the 2024 season, Saminu achieved notable performances, including gold at the American Athletic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a time of 10.03 seconds and a personal best of 10.02 seconds at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships.

Personal Best: His personal best in the 100m is 10.02 seconds, which he set at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships, placing him fifth in that event.

Benjamin Azamati facts

National Record Holder: Benjamin Azamati is the current holder of Ghana’s national record in the 100 meters. He broke a 22-year-old record in 2021 with an impressive time of 9.97 seconds.

Relay Gold: Azamati contributed to Ghana’s gold medal win in the 4x100m relay at the 2019 African Games in Rabat.

African Games Performance: He competed in the African Games and finished fifth in the 100m final held in Accra earlier this year, where he faced tough competition.

The importance of today’s semi-finals

How Azamati and Saminu reached the final

Benjamin Azamati finished second in his heat behind Kishane Thompson. The Ghanaian star clocked a season-best time of 10.08 seconds.

Kishane Thompson slowed down and still took first place, how do these Jamaicans train.
Regardless, AZAMATI to the whole world👏🎊 pic.twitter.com/wb9qHiJEhX

— Mr Kenn (@officialandykay) August 3, 2024

Meanwhile, Abdul-Rasheed Saminu placed third in his heat on Saturday morning with a time of 10.06 seconds.

Saminu did good 👍🏾 pic.twitter.com/RuX1UHF9Di

— Pumba🙌🏾 (@innocenttt_k) August 3, 2024

Azamati and Saminu chase history

The last Ghanaian to reach an Olympic 100m final was Aziz Zakari, who competed in the Athens Games in 2004. Zakari’s journey was remarkable: he finished second in his heat and won his semi-final despite a challenging race. However, he was unable to finish the final due to a hamstring injury. Since then, no Ghanaian sprinter has advanced to the 100m final.

Message of support

Ghanaian boxer @freezy_macbones shows support for sprinters Benjamin Azamati and Abdul-Rasheed Saminu as they prepare for the 100m semis#3SportsGH pic.twitter.com/0V27iaHEsE

— #3Sports (@3SportsGh) August 4, 2024

What time will both race?

The semi-finals are set to start at 6 pm local time, with Benjamin Azamati racing first at 6:05 pm, followed by Abdul-Rasheed Saminu, whose race is scheduled for 6:23 pm.

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