- Ghana fell agonisingly short of a podium finish in the men’s 4x100m relay final, missing out by just 0.04 seconds
- The team has since spoken out after placing fourth behind the USA, Canada, and the Netherlands
- The narrow miss was heartbreaking, but their performance was not without reward, as they secured a respectable cash prize for their efforts
Ghana’s men’s 4x100m relay team has spoken out after their heartbreaking near miss at the World Athletics Championships, where they finished just shy of a historic bronze medal.
The quartet carried the weight of national expectation and delivered a performance that stirred both pride and pain, crossing the line only fractions of a second behind the podium places.
Source: Getty Images
The team had arrived in the final as one of the favourites, after clocking the fastest time across all heats.
Their run set up hopes of a breakthrough medal, and the atmosphere was charged with anticipation as the sprinters lined up under the bright lights of Tokyo.
How did Ghana miss out on podium finish?
Fuseini took off first but posted a modest 10.55 seconds before handing the baton to Azamati, who reignited the charge with another blistering 8.96-second burst.
Amoah stormed through the bend in 9.48 seconds, leaving the final stretch to Saminu, who had already impressed earlier in the competition with a semi-final run in the 100m.
The 27-year-old pushed hard in 8.94 seconds, chasing down Dutch sprinter Elvis Afrifa with everything he had.
Yet, in the cruelest of finishes, Afrifa edged him out by just 0.04 seconds to secure bronze for the Netherlands in a new national record of 37.81, per French outlet rFi. Ghana finished fourth in 37.93.
Watch Ghana’s performance in the 4x100m relay final:
While the disappointment was evident, the race still showcased Ghana’s growing reputation on the global stage.
Team USA secured gold in 37.29, their 10th world title in the event, with Canada settling for silver in 37.55, per World Athletics.
Team Ghana breaks silence after 4th-place finish
Despite the sting of defeat, the Ghanaian athletes spoke with courage and optimism after the race. Team captain Joseph Paul Amoah said:
“First, we’ll thank God for all of us coming out of the race early. We gave it our all, and we wanted to come out here and, obviously, get top top three, you know, make the podium and stuff like that. We believe we could come out here and get a medal, but fourth position is not bad.”
Abdul Rasheed Saminu, who ran the anchor leg, admitted it was tough to accept but chose to look ahead:
Source: Getty Images
“I wanted to chase him [Afrifa]. He got the baton before me and, you know, it happened. We can’t blame anything. We execute well. You know, bad weather today wasn’t the best day, so we can’t blame anything. We live to fight another day.”
Benjamin Azamati echoed that sentiment, highlighting the team’s potential:
“You know what this does for us or what this tells us? We’re capable. We came in fit, and it’s time for. We believe in ourselves. We believe we’ll be able to do it. And, in the next world championship, we’ll regroup, focus, you know, get it cleaned up at our sticks, get the full speed, come back again, and try.”
Watch the full interview here:
Fuseini, on the other hand, looked crestfallen, keeping to himself and remaining mute throughout the mixed zone session.
Sharing his thoughts on the team’s performance, Stephen Zando of Luv FM told YEN.com.gh:
“Although the team narrowly missed out on a podium finish, it speaks volumes about their progress. This is by far Ghana’s best showing in the relay event at the World Championships.
“That said, I believe their performance should serve as a wake-up call for the Sports Ministry to invest in them and ensure proper preparation for next year’s competitions, including the Commonwealth Games.”
How much did Ghana pocket after finishing 4th?
In a separate report, YEN.com.gh highlighted how much Team Ghana pocketed after placing fourth in the men’s 4x100m relay final.
According to the prize breakdown, the United States secured US$80,000, Canada took home US$40,000, and the Netherlands earned US$20,000, with Ghana also receiving a respectable payout for their fourth-place finish.
Source: YEN.com.gh
Source: Yen.com.gh
