2024 Paris Olympics: Abdul-Rasheed Saminu fails to qualify for men’s 100 metres semifinals

Ghanaian sprinter Abdul-Rasheed Saminu will not compete in the men's 100-metre finals at the 2024 Olympic Games after finishing seventh in the third Heat of the event.

Saminu, a first-time Olympian, clocked a time of 10.05 seconds, slightly improving his semifinal qualifying time of 10.06 seconds.

In Heat 3, Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson took first place with a time of 9.80 seconds, followed by former World Champion Fred Kerley, who finished second at 9.83 seconds. South Africa’s Benjamin Richardson secured third place with a time of 9.95 seconds.

Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, came in eighth behind Saminu, with a time of 10.08 seconds.

Another Ghanaian sprinter, Benjamin Azamati, finished ninth in Heat One with a time of 10.17 seconds. This heat saw Jamaica’s Oblique Seville and reigning World Champion Noah Lyles advance to the finals.

Akani Simbine of South Africa and Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo will represent Africa in the finals after finishing first and second, respectively, in Heat Two.

Defending Olympic Champion Marcel Jacobs finished third in Heat Two but qualified for the finals alongside fourth-place finisher Kenneth Bednarek, as the two athletes with the fastest non-automatic qualification times.