Frimpong, who first competed at the Winter Olympics in skeleton in 2018, said he will officially retire from the sport after the 2026 Winter Olympics scheduled for Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.
Ghana’s first skeleton Olympian, Akwasi Frimpong, has disclosed when he will retire as a professional athlete in an exclusive interview with Pulse.com.gh.
Akwasi Frimpong: Ghana’s first skeleton Olympian exclusively reveals when he’ll retire
Speaking on Pulse One-on-One, the Dutch-Ghanaian athlete explained that he was not growing any younger, and with his focus now on his foundation, he believes it’s time to put his bobsled down.
“After 2018, 2022, and then 2026, I’m not getting any younger. And I want to basically give back as well, so in that process, it’s helping me to push through my foundation as well. But the goal is to retire after the 2026 Olympic Games,” Frimpong revealed exclusively to Pulse.com.gh.
Akwasi Frimpong
Pulse Ghana
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Skeleton, according to the Olympian, is an expensive sport but he’s been trying his best to train young people across Ghana since 2017.
“We do have a bobsled and skeleton federation since 2017… we have been doing this for many years, almost every three months we go to different schools. We are building wooden sleds here in Ghana and we showcase them the sport to get them curious and interested. The sport is really expensive," he said.
Akwasi Frimpong’s Olympic journey
Frimpong, a former Dutch junior champion in the 200-meter sprints, was born in Kumasi, Ghana but later moved to the Netherlands.
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He decided to compete for Ghana in skeleton to qualify for the Olympics. Frimpong earned a spot for Africa's continental delegation in the skeleton competition and qualified for the 2018 Olympics.
The 38-year-old made history as the first African skeleton athlete to win an elite skeleton race authorised by the USA Bobsled and Skeleton Federation in Park City, Utah, on February 29, 2020.
