Ghanaian skeleton athlete Akwasi Frimpong has narrowly missed out on a place in the final of the 2024 IBSF World Championships.
The 38-year-old finished 28th and, therefore, missed out on the final of the Championships by just three spots despite putting in his best performance.
This year’s IBSF World Championships are currently ongoing in Winterberg, Germany and will come to an end on March 3.
Reacting to his participation in this year’s event, Frimpong described the experience as incredible but also said he had challenges with racing on a new track that he wasn’t too familiar with.
“Leaving the World Championships in Winterberg with another incredible experience,” he wrote on Instagram.
“Racing on a new track posed challenges due to the lack of track knowledge, but it was a privilege to represent Ghana as the sole athlete from the continent of #Africa in the skeleton event, competing against the world’s best athletes in the sport.
“Having my mom watch me live for the first time competing in any sport was truly special. Although I missed the finals by just three spots, finishing 28th marked my best performance at a World Championships.”
He added: “While I had hoped to reach the finals, my coach reminded me that our focus is on the progress I have been making this season, rather than just my final placement.
“My learning curve this season has been exponential, and I am learning with every run and getting closer to mastering the sled. The best is yet to come, and I am grateful to everyone who travelled near and far to show their support. Thank you for believing in me.”
Frimpong represented Ghana at the 2018 Winter Olympics, becoming the West African country’s first skeleton Olympian.
The Dutch-born athlete also remains only the second Ghanaian ever to compete at the Winter Olympics.
He was, however, denied the chance to qualify for a second Olympic outing at Beijing 2022 after testing positive for COVID-19.
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