Ghanaian sprinters targeting the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles will need to run 9.93 seconds in the men’s 100 metres and 10.96 seconds in the women’s event to meet the entry standards published by World Athletics.
The standards form part of the qualification system for the athletics competition, scheduled for July 15 to 30, 2028, with athletes also able to secure Olympic places through world rankings.
In the men’s 200 metres, the required mark is 19.95 seconds, while women must clock 22.25 seconds. The 400 metres standards have been set at 44.40 seconds for men and 49.90 seconds for women.
Athletes targeting the 400 metres hurdles will need to run 48 seconds in the men’s event and 54 seconds in the women’s competition.
In the field events, the men’s long jump standard is 8.30 metres, while women must reach 6.90 metres. The high jump standards are 2.32 metres for men and 1.97 metres for women.
Under the qualification system approved by the World Athletics Council, 40 per cent of the available places will be allocated through entry standards, while the remaining 60 per cent will be determined by world rankings.
Ghanaian athletes can therefore qualify either by meeting the required entry standards or securing enough ranking points during the designated qualification period.
However, meeting the entry standard will not guarantee qualification if the number of athletes achieving the mark exceeds the available quota. In such cases, places will go to the highest-ranked athletes within the qualification period, with no additional spots awarded through the ranking pathway. The qualification windows will vary depending on the event.
The marathon qualification period runs from November 1, 2026, to April 30, 2028. Athletes competing in the 10,000 metres, combined events, race walks and relays will have from December 19, 2026, to June 18, 2028, to secure their places. For all other athletics events, the qualification window runs from June 19, 2027, to June 18, 2028.
The Los Angeles 2028 athletics programme will feature 48 events, including the mixed 4×100 metres relay, which will make its Olympic debut alongside the mixed 4×400 metres relay, potentially giving Ghana another opportunity to compete for a medal in the relay events.
World Athletics says results from competitions held within the relevant qualification windows will count towards Olympic qualification. Performances at national senior outdoor championships will also be considered, subject to specific timing requirements.
