Monrovia – Liberian track and field superstar Joseph Fahnbulleh has advanced to the men’s 200m final at the Paris Olympics. Fahnbulleh finished second in the second semifinal with a time of 20.12 seconds. American sprinter Knighton won the first place in the third semifinal with a time of 20.09 seconds, followed by Fahnbulleh.
By: Christopher C Walker
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Fahnbulleh will compete for a spot on the medal podium on August 8 at 8:30 PM local time (6:30 PM GMT; 2:30 PM ET). The Liberian runner, based in the United States, will race against nine other athletes for a chance at the gold medal.
In the 2020 London Olympics, Fahnbulleh was the only African in the men’s 200m final. This year, he is joined by three other Africans. On Monday, August 5, 2024, Fahnbulleh won his heat in the first round of the men’s 200m, clocking a time of 20.20 seconds. Italy’s Eseosa Fostine Desalu finished second in 20.26 seconds, and Van Niekerk came third in 20.42 seconds.
Fahnbulleh put on a spectacular performance, coming from behind to claim first place in his heat. He competed again on Wednesday, August 6, in the semifinal, where the top three finishers in each heat advanced to the final.
Hopes are high for a gold medal for Liberia with Fahnbulleh now in the final. In June 2024, Fahnbulleh won the men’s 100m final at the African Championships with a time of 10.13 seconds, upsetting home talent Emmanuel Eseme. Fahnbulleh recently became the men’s 200m African champion and is ranked 11th in the world. In 2021, he made it to the Tokyo Olympics men’s 200m finals and placed fifth.
Meanwhile, Liberia’s men’s 4×100 relay team will race on Thursday, August 8. Newcomers Jabez Reeves (21) and John Sherman (19) will join veterans Matadi and Fahnbulleh for their Olympic debut. Akeem Sirleaf (27), who competed with the team when they qualified at the Bahamas relay, will serve as an alternate due to an injury.
Liberia hasn’t had a relay team qualify for the Olympics since the Sydney Games in 2000. However, Liberia’s first men’s relay team debuted at the 1956 Games in Melbourne, Australia. The country has yet to produce a women’s relay Olympic team.
