Abeiku Jackson out as Stacey and Mensah qualify for Olympic Games

Ghana’s swimmers Harry Stacey and Joselle Mensah have both qualified for the Olympic Games to be staged in Paris later this year.

The duo will be heading into the Games as Ghana’s wildcard options – Joselle to compete in the 50m freestyle and then Harry Stacey will participate in the 100m freestyle race.

Here is how it works

At every Olympic Games, World Aquatics hands wildcards to countries that may not particularly stand a chance to qualify by the qualification standard times set for the races. The wildcards are handed to the best male and female swimmers in the country by the points they have both racked up in the FINA rankings due to meets they have been to all year round.

In Ghana’s case, the best female swimmer by the points recorded with World Aquatics is Joselle Mensah so she gets in easily as the female swimmer there. In the male division, Abeiku Jackson is Ghana’s lead swimmer and has recorded the most points but there is a little caveat. World Aquatics set up a rule that said that wildcards could be handed to a swimmer twice. After the second time, another opportunity has to be given to another swimmer. Abeiku failed to meet the qualifying time for his races and after competing at the 2016 and 2020 Games, he will not get a chance to use the wild card again.

Harry Stacey who was Abeiku’s roommate during the 2023 African Games is the second on the ranking table in Ghana so he gets the ticket to the Games. Stacey has had a terrific swim year. He placed 4th in two different events at the African Games, missing out narrowly on a chance to get on the podium. He led Abeiku on points for much of the season until last month when Abeiku competed in Mauritius to build his points on the world rankings.

Stacey and Mensah: Newbies at the Olympics

This will be both Joselle Mensah and Harry Stacey’s first ever Olympic Games and they will be relishing the opportunity. Stacey will be only the second man to represent Ghana at the Games and will need any level of encouragement he can get. Joselle will be the third girl after Kaya Forson and Unilez Takyi had the opportunity at the last two Olympic Games in Rio and Tokyo respectively.

Given Ghana’s standards, qualifying from the first phase of the games will be a big achievement.

The post Abeiku Jackson out as Stacey and Mensah qualify for Olympic Games first appeared on 3News.

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