Ghanaian sprinters Benjamin Azamati and Rasheed Saminu both saw their hopes in the men’s 100 metres at the 2024 Olympic Games come to an end in the semi-final round.
In the first semi-final, Benjamin Azamati finished ninth with a time of 10.17 seconds.
The race was won by Jamaica’s Oblique Seville in 9.81 seconds, while Noah Lyles of the USA, who won the bronze in 2020, secured second place with a time of 9.83 seconds.
In the second semi-final, Rasheed Saminu placed seventh with a time of 10.08 seconds.
Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson led this heat with a time of 9.80 seconds, followed by Fred Kerley from the USA in second with 9.84 seconds.
The final of the men’s 100 metres was a showcase of American talent, as Noah Lyles claimed the gold medal.
Lyles, who had confidently predicted his success, narrowly defeated Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson with a personal best time of 9.79 seconds.
Despite Thompson leading for most of the race, Lyles surged to victory, marking the beginning of his ambitious quest for up to four gold medals at the Games.
Fred Kerley, another American sprinter, won the bronze with a time of 9.81 seconds, just ahead of South Africa’s Akani Simbine.
The race at Stade de France was intensely competitive, with all eight finalists finishing within a mere 0.12 seconds of Lyles after a suspenseful delay at the start.