One of Team Ghana’s sprinter’s, Flings Joyner Owusu-Agyapong , has revealed that is looking to better her personal running times at this year’s Commonwealth Games.
The Canada-based athlete is coming to the Games with a personal best of 11.39 seconds that was set in 2013 in the United States but she has stated that she would like to beat that time even though the lure of a medal cannot be resisted.
“I really want to hit a big personal record in Glasgow. I have been working really hard at it and I think it can happen. If I get a medal out of it, that will be great. But I am hoping for my personal record,” she said to the Ghana Olympic Committee’s Media Office in an interview.
Owusu-Agyapong will also be taking part in the 4×100 relay in the women’s category and she is hoping for more success for a Ghanaian team that won silver at the last Commonwealth Games in 2010 (that had Rosina Amenebede, Elizabeth Amolofo, Beatrice Gyaman and Janet Amponsah).
“I think it is possible for us to do well in the relays. I think we have a group of talented girls and if we can get our baton changes right, we will have a chance.”
Ghana’s relay team has, in addition to Owusu-Agyapong, Gemma Acheampong, Suzie Acolatse, Doreen Agyei, Janet Amponsah, Beatrice Gyaman.
The women’s 100 metres heats will begin on the 27th of July at the Hampden Park Stadium in Glasgow.
ABOUT FLINGS JOYNER OWUSU-AGYAPONG
She grew up in Kumasi until the age of 9 when her parents moved to Canada where she continued her education until college.
She started athletics in school and over time, she joined a club and took the sport a bit more seriously. The push to start running came after watching the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006 but she admits to “being slow” in her early days.
At age 16, she received her first call-up to the Ghana team and took part in the African Championships in Mauritius in 2006 and was doing a time of 11.86.
Since then, she has won two medals with the Ghana relay team in two African Athletics Championships and one All-Africa Games Championships but she is aiming at excelling in the individual events in Glasgow in the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
By: Nathan Quao/citifmonline.com/Ghana