Bulls sophomore sprinter Abdul-Rasheed Saminu may have just punched his ticket to the Paris Olympics, representing his home country, Ghana.

“Every athlete’s dream is to run in the Olympics,” Saminu said. “I am very thankful to be representing my country.” 

Saminu, 22, qualified for the Olympics’ 200-meter dash, granting him a spot on Ghana’s roster. The games will take place in Paris at the end of July. 

He was raised in Nanumba, Ghana and moved to the U.S. to attend Florida Memorial University in 2023. He transferred to USF prior to the 2024 season. 

Saminu’s journey to potential Olympic glory has put eyes on him. In his recent NCAA Championship meet on June 7, he received two First Team All-American nominations.

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He is waiting to meet the national team in Ghana and will prepare for Paris afterwards.

There have only been five USF track and field athletes to compete in the Olympics – the last being volunteer assistant Shadae Lawrence, who represented Jamaica at the Tokyo games in 2021. 

Saminu, who has attributed his speed to his time chasing and hunting rabbits as a kid, could add to that list.  

In the 100-meter dash, Saminu secured fifth place with a blazing time of 10.02 seconds. He also broke the USF program record in the 200-meter dash, crossing the finish line in 20.12 seconds. 

“Seeing my colleagues and a bunch of my coaches there, I feel proud to represent the school and go out and do what I trained for,” Saminu said.

Although Saminu qualified for the 200-meter dash, he still has a chance to qualify for the Olympics in the 100-meter dash at Ghana’s national meet next month, he said. 

Saminu just needs to cut down by .2 seconds to meet the Olympic qualifying time of 10.00 seconds in the 100-meter dash 

Joining Saminu in the limelight is his teammate, Goodness Iredia, whose success in the long jump has not gone unnoticed. 

Iredia finished in seventh place, jumping an impressive 7.86 meters (25 feet, 9.5 inches).  

While Saminu and Iredia stole the spotlight, the Bulls’ overall performance at the NCAA Championship was commendable. They earned three Second Team All-American nominations. 

Senior Shevioe Reid showcased his talent in the 200-meter dash, finishing 11th overall. Both the men’s and women’s 4×400 meter relay teams delivered solid performances, with the men’s getting the 12th spot and women’s getting the 13th spot.

The Bulls’ efforts at the championship meet translated into 12 points, with Saminu and Iredia contributing significantly to the team’s success. 

Four points came for Saminu in the 100-meter dash and six in 200-meter dash. The last two points came from Iredia in the long jump.  

As the Bulls revel in their accomplishments and look ahead to future competitions, Saminu hopes to add Olympic champion to his USF records. 

The 2024 Summer Olympics will be held in Paris, France from July 26 to Aug. 11. The games will be broadcast on NBC.

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