2024 Paris Olympics: Lutterodt appeals for Gadayi's inclusion in relay team

FORMER national athletics chief, George Haldane Lutterodt, has made an impassioned plea to the Youth and Sports Ministry to send sprinter Edwin Gadayi to Paris for the 2024 Olympics.

Mr Lutterodt emphasised the importance of supporting the 23-year-old sprinter, despite new international rules that had reduced the number of athletes permitted on relay teams. Gadayi qualified as a member of Ghana's men's 4x100m relay team, and Mr Lutterodt believes it would be demoralising if he is not allowed to join his teammates in Paris.

The President of Ghana Athletics, Bawa Fusieni, explained that Gadayi, who won gold with Team Ghana at the recent African Championships in Douala and the 4th CAA Region II Championships in Accra, had been affected by revised World Athletics and International Olympic Committee (IOC) rules. These rules now permit only five athletes per relay team instead of six.

The sixth athlete receives limited accreditation but still has access to training facilities and the Games Village. 

With US-based Ghanaian star Abdul-Rasheed Saminu qualifying for individual events, Gadayi could not be included as the sixth athlete on the relay team.

Mr Lutterodt argues that the state should cover the extra cost to send Gadayi as a standby athlete, which would boost his morale and recognise his outstanding season, including winning gold in the men's 100m at the 4th CAA Region II Championships and the GNPC Ghana's Fastest Human competition in Accra.

“In reality, only athletics truly represents Ghana at the Olympics. For swimming, they qualified via a wild card meant for developmental purposes. We must find funds to send an additional qualified athlete to Paris because we need to prepare our athletes for future competitions,” Mr Lutterodt, former Chairman of the Ghana Athletics Association told the Graphic Sports.

He noted that countries like Nigeria and Jamaica were sending extra athletes and coaches, including spare trainers, at their own expense and questioned why Ghana could not do the same.

Rose denied access

Mr Lutterodt also criticised Ghana Athletics for not allowing Petros Kyprianou, coach of African high jump star, Rose Amoanimaa Yeboah, to join the athlete at the Olympics to provide technical guidance at the team's training camp and during the competition.

“The most basic rule of winning medals at major competitions is the connection between you and your coach. Rose has been deprived of that essential support. How can she win anything at the event without her coach?” he asked.

He further questioned the rationale behind taking a jump coach, Andrew Owusu, to train sprinters at the Olympics, expressing concern over Ghana’s strategy and its impact on their chances of winning medals.