Benjamin Azamati run the quickest time amongst Ghana’s track and field athletes as they pushed start their 2023 outdoor season.
His time of 9.99s at the Jo Meaker Classic and Multi means four Ghanaian athletes are now running under 10.10s in the 100m event already.
There was a clean sweep for Ghana in the 100m finals at the Jo Meaker Classic and Multi, as Isaac Botsio and Joseph Manu of West Texas A&M University, finished in second and third respectively.
Botsio’s time of 10.06s was a jump from his Texas Relays best 10.21s, set only a week ago from the event, while Manu clocked 10.08s.
Botsio, still in his freshman year at West Texas, was named an All-American in March and after his 10.06s run, was named as a national athlete of the week.
Meanwhile, long jumper, Abraham Seaneke won the long jump event with his season-opening leap of 7.89m and now holds the Jo Meaker Classic event record.
And at the David Noble Relays, James Dadzie, with a 100m personal best of 10.10s, ran 10.29s to finish first in the finals of the heat. He also led the track in the preliminaries, where he made a time of 10.21s.
It was an even better story for Saminu Abdul-Rasheed, who won the 100m event at the Hurricane Alumni Invitational relays with a time of 10.04s – and 20.50s to finish second in the 200m final.
The pair, Abdul-Rasheed and Dadzie, are currently ranked in the top 15 of World Athletics season’s 100m men’s top times.
National 200m record holder, Joseph Paul Amoah opened his season with the fifth fastest time at the Miramar Invitational – 20.43s, which is now the fastest time he has run in any season opener.
But he finished behind Christian Coleman and Letsile Tebogo, who both hit 20.00s.
Solomon Hammond ran 10.31 to finish second in the 100m final at the South Florida Invitational, where Jeff Hammond won the men’s long jump event. He recorded a distance of 7.67m.
In the women’s events, Grace Obour ran the quickest time of the 400m event at the David Noble Relays – where she also produced 23.96s to win the women’s 200m final.
Meanwhile, Halutie Hor ran 11.66s to finish second in the 100m final at the South Florida invitational. However, she finished one place better in the 200m final, recording a time of 23.99s.
Gifty Kwakyewaa Oku recorded a slower time – 24.09s – also at the South Florida Invitational and 11.88s in the 100m event.
Ethel Amissah was named ICCAC athlete of the week, after her 54.54s second-place run in the 400m event at the KT Wood Classic.
