Abeku Jackson and Nubia Adjei shine at Russia’s Salnikov Cup

Ghanaian swimmers Abeku Jackson and Nubia Adjei capped an eventful month with stellar performances at the 18th Salnikov Cup in St. Petersburg, Russia, held from 19–21 December.

The duo delivered impressive results against a competitive field, affirming Ghana’s growing presence in international swimming.

Jackson’s butterfly Brilliance

Abeku Jackson, 24, showcased his prowess in the pool, qualifying for the B finals of the men’s 100m butterfly on Friday. 

He clocked 53.50 seconds in the heats, improving to 53.42 in the final. Although the top honours went to Russia’s Pavel Samusenko, Jackson’s performance stood out.

In the 50m butterfly last Saturday, Jackson narrowly missed the finals. His time of 23.74 placed him 17th, earning a reserve slot just outside the top 16.

The competition marked the end of a whirlwind journey for Jackson, who had raced in Budapest at the World Aquatics 25m Swimming Championships just days earlier.

His Salnikov Cup campaign began last Thursday with the 50m freestyle preliminaries, where he recorded 23.24 seconds. While it fell short of his personal best of 22.60, the result was encouraging given his packed schedule.

UK-based Nubia Adjei also delivered commendable performances. The 21-year-old earned 598 points in the women’s 50m backstroke and 560 points in the 100m backstroke, both respectable scores.

Adjei began her campaign on Thursday with a personal best of 27.17 seconds in the 50m freestyle, surpassing her previous World Aquatics record of 27.58.

She followed this with a 29.96-second swim in the 50m backstroke, narrowly missing her best of 29.87 set in Hungary the previous week.

The Salnikov Cup featured athletes from across the globe, including Madagascar, Armenia, Nigeria, South Africa, and Kazakhstan, competing alongside numerous Russian states. While Russian swimmers dominated the medals, the Ghanaian duo left their mark, ending their year on a high note.

Looking ahead 

After a demanding December, Jackson and Adjei return home to rest before embarking on an even busier 2025 schedule. Upcoming competitions include the Africa Aquatics Juniors, AA Zone 2 Open Water, WA Championships, and other prestigious events.

Farida Ayishatu Iddriss, Treasurer of the Ghana Swimming Association, reflected on the year: "It’s been a fantastic year, from winning our first African Games medals in swimming to earning multiple finalist spots.

We also secured medals at the Africa Swimming Championships in Angola and hosted 18 countries for the AA Zone 2 Championships, winning over 50 medals. We aim to achieve even more in 2025."