Janet Amponsah must run the race of her life to qualify - Erasmus Kwaw

pulse-ghana admin

August 8, 2017 3:03 PM

All hopes of individual Ghana athletics in the IAAF 2017 championships now rests on the shoulders of Janet Amponsah.

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Last Sunday saw Emmanuel Dassor, Alex Amankwah and Nadia Eke all crush out of the 2017 IAAF championships.

That only means that Janet Amponsah remains the only hope of the nation, as she prepares to contest later on Tuesday.

The 2016 African Championships silver medalist should look to take it a notch higher in the world championships, at least better than what her compatriots previously displayed.

Janet Amponsah competes in Heat 5 of the 200m event on Tuesday evening, and the entire nation will be watching with bated breath.

Pulse Sports caught up with an executive member of the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA), Erasmus Kwaw, to discuss the chances of the 24 year old in the upcoming event.

“Janet Amponsah comes into this event on the back of being silver medalist in the 2015 African games and 2016 African Athletics Championships. She would look to break Vida Nsiah’s national record of 22.80 seconds which would be great for her," he said, with regards to the ambitions of the sprinter.

Erasmus Kwaw, who doubles as a sports journalist, further outlined some possible challenges the athlete is likely to face going into the race, insisting her lack of preparedness could prove costly.

“Just like that of Alex Amankwah, Janet Amponsah has not run in a month and that makes us (the GAA and officials) unsure of her current form going into this race. She did not have the best of preparations going into this race.”

He added that the 24-year-old will need to be at her best in order to stand a chance of qualifying from her heat, considering the kind of opposition she will be facing.

"The heat she finds herself competing in has Dina Asha Smith of Great Britain, Michelle Lee Ahye of Trinidad and Tobago as well as Crystal Emmanuel of Canada. They are great athletes and she needs to make a lifetime best to qualify.”

Janet Amponsah comes into the race with personal best of 22.09, with the aforementioned trio all having better records of 22.07, 22.25 and 22.50 respectively.

pulse-ghana admin