Olympic dreams dashed despite Ghana's relay victory

Ghana's men's 4x400 metres relay team secured the country's seventh gold medal today at the Confederation of African Athletics Region II Championship.

 The Ghanaian quartet comprising Israel Anane Domeh, Solomon Diafo, Peter Antiedu, and Daniel Otibu clinched a comfortable victory, crossing the finish line in 3:09.53 minutes at the University of Ghana Stadium. 

They dominated the four-lap race, leaving Cote d'Ivoire in second place with a time of 3:22.99 minutes, while Benin finished third in 3:27.93 minutes to claim the bronze medal.

In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Domeh, who initiated the race for Team Ghana, expressed disappointment that despite winning the gold medal, the team couldn't meet the Olympic qualification mark to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

"It feels great to win a gold medal, but unfortunately, we couldn't achieve the Olympic Qualifying Time. Hopefully, we'll get another chance to qualify at the Senior African Championships in Cameroun," he said.

Medal haul

The triumph of Ghana's relay team added to an impressive haul of gold medals secured earlier in the Championship. Sprinter Edwin Gadayi claimed gold in the 100 metres, Ismael Arthur dominated the 10,000 metres, and Abdul Suaburu Wahab triumphed in the men's 400 metres.

Additionally, the women's 4x100 metres relay team showcased their prowess with a gold medal performance. 

Esther Obenewaa soared to gold in the high jump, while Faustina Owusu excelled in the discus throw in the field events.

Prior to the men's 4x400 metres relay final, Nigeria's women's 4x400 relay team set a high standard, comfortably claiming gold with a swift time of 3:30.79 seconds.

Despite a valiant effort from Ghana's Bridget Annan to close the gap, the Nigerians secured a significant lead of approximately 200 metres, leaving Ghana with the silver medal in 3:40.47 seconds. Unfortunately, Benin faced disqualification post-race.

In other events, the women's 400 metres hurdles race was won by Sita Sibiri of Burkina Faso, with Ghanaians Mariama Fatao and Asana Amidu securing second and third place, respectively.

At the time of going to press, no athlete had met the Olympic Qualification Standard at the competition.