Ghana at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Ghana competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. This was the nation's fourteenth appearance at the Summer Olympics, having taken part in all but three editions since its debut (as the Gold Coast) at the 1952 Summer Olympics. Ghana did not attend the 1976 Olympics because of the African boycott and did not attend the 1980 Olympics because of the United States boycott.

Ghana at the 2016 Summer Olympics
IOC code	GHA
NOC	Ghana Olympic Committee
in Rio de Janeiro
Competitors	14 in 5 sports
Flag bearer	Flings Owusu-Agyapong[1]
Medals	Gold 0 Silver 0 Bronze 0 Total 0
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)
1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976–1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024

Ghana Olympic Committee sent the nation's largest delegation to the Games since 2004. A total of 14 athletes, seven per gender, were selected to the team for five different sports.^[2] Among the sports represented by the athletes, Ghana marked its Olympic debut in swimming, women's judo, and men's weightlifting.

Notable Ghanaian athletes on the squad were Hungarian-born judoka Szandra Szögedi, and freestyle swimmer Kaya Forson, who established a record as the youngest ever competitor (aged 14) in the nation's Olympic history.^[3] Javelin thrower John Ampomah was named the captain of the Ghanaian team, with track sprinter Flings Owusu-Agyapong leading the contingent as the nation's flag bearer in the opening ceremony.^[1][4]

Ghana, however, failed to earn a single medal in Rio de Janeiro, continuing a drought that began at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, where the men's football team earned the bronze.

Athletics (track and field)

Main articles: Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics and Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Qualification

Ghanaian athletes achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event):^[5][6]

Key

• Note–Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only
• Q = Qualified for the next round
• q = Qualified for the next round as a fastest loser or, in field events, by position without achieving the qualifying target
• NR = National record
• N/A = Round not applicable for the event
• Bye = Athlete not required to compete in round

Track & road events

Men

Athlete	Event	Heat		Quarterfinal		Semifinal		Final
		Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank
Sean Safo-Antwi	100 m	Bye		10.43	6	Did not advance
Emmanuel Dasor	200 m	20.65	6	—		Did not advance
Alex Amankwah	800 m	1:50.33	7	—		Did not advance

Women

Athlete	Event	Heat		Quarterfinal		Semifinal		Final
		Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank
Flings Owusu-Agyapong	100 m	Bye		11.43	4	Did not advance
Janet Amponsah	200 m	23.67	6	—		Did not advance
Gemma Acheampong Janet Amponsah Beatrice Gyaman Dorcas Gyimah Flings Owusu-Agyapong	4 × 100 m relay	43.37	8	—				Did not advance

Field events

Athlete	Event	Qualification		Final
		Distance	Position	Distance	Position
John Ampomah	Men's javelin throw	80.39	19	Did not advance

Boxing

Main article: Boxing at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Ghana entered one boxer to compete in the men's bantamweight division into the Olympic competition. Abdul Omar received an unused Olympic spot as the next highest-ranked boxer at the 2016 African Boxing Olympic Qualification Tournament, as runner-up Mohamed Hamout of Morocco decided to accept his place instead in the World Series of Boxing (WSB) rankings.^[7]

Athlete	Event	Round of 32	Round of 16	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Final
		Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Rank
Abdul Omar	Men's bantamweight	Melián (ARG) L 0–3	Did not advance

Judo

Main articles: Judo at the 2016 Summer Olympics and Judo at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Qualification

Ghana qualified one judoka for the women's half-middleweight category (63 kg) at the Games. Hungarian-born Szandra Szögedi earned a continental quota spot from the African region as Ghana's top-ranked judoka outside of direct qualifying position in the IJF World Ranking List of May 30, 2016.^[8][9]

Athlete	Event	Round of 32	Round of 16	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Repechage	Final / BM
		Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Rank
Szandra Szögedi	Women's −63 kg	M Silva (BRA) L 000–100	Did not advance

Swimming

Main article: Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Ghana received a Universality invitation from FINA to send two swimmers (one male and one female) to the Olympics, signifying the nation's Olympic debut in the sport.^[10][11][12]

Athlete	Event	Heat		Semifinal		Final
		Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank
Abeiku Jackson	Men's 50 m freestyle	24.30	55	Did not advance
Kaya Forson	Women's 200 m freestyle	2:16.02	42	Did not advance

Weightlifting

Main articles: Weightlifting at the 2016 Summer Olympics and Weightlifting at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Qualification

Ghana qualified one male weightlifter for the Rio Olympics by virtue of a top five national finish at the 2016 African Championships.^[13] The team allocated this place to 17-year-old Christian Amoah.^[14]

Athlete	Event	Snatch		Clean & Jerk		Total	Rank
		Result	Rank	Result	Rank
Christian Amoah	Men's −85 kg	130	18	153	21	283	21

See also

• Ghana at the 2016 Summer Paralympics