The political leader of the Liberia National Union (LINU), Clarence Moniba, has congratulated Liberia’s anchor, Joseph Fahnbulleh, for qualifying the Liberian men’s Olympic team for the Paris 2024 Olympics, which kicks off on July 26.
Dr. Moniba’s congratulations comes as Fahnbulleh, who was trailing in the last leg of a 4x100m relay, exhibited a phenomenal burst of speed, overtaking three countries to secure a second-place finish for Liberia at the 2024 World Athletics Relays in Nassau, Bahamas, last month.
Fahnbulleh’s impressive feat narrowly edged out Switzerland by mere thousandths of a second, thus securing Liberia’s spot in the 2024 Olympics.
In his congratulatory message, Dr. Moniba, a sports enthusiast and former athlete, praised Fahnbulleh’s performance as historic and inspirational for generations of Liberian athletes to come.
“Joseph Fahnbulleh’s performance is nothing short of historic. His determination and skill have not only secured Liberia a place in the Olympics but have also inspired a nation. This moment will be remembered for generations to come,” Dr. Moniba said.
According to Moniba, he is certain that Fahnbulleh will return home with a medal this time as he has what it takes to excel at the Paris 2024 Olympics and on the world stage, noting that Fahnbulleh is a determined young man who has what it takes to succeed at the highest level of athletics.
The World Athletics Relay event in Nassau saw Fahnbulleh qualify the Liberian men’s Olympic team automatically as a result of his heroic performance, which saw him finishing second in the 4x100m relay.
Fahnbulleh’s spectacular finish and Liberia’s qualification mark the first time in 24 years that a Liberian relay team has competed at this level. The last occurrence was in 2000, with Liberia’s current head athletics coach, Sayon Cooper, as a member of that team.
“This win means a lot to me because Liberia has not been represented at the Olympic Games in the 4×100 relay since 2000, which is 24 years ago,” Liberia’s head athletics coach Sayon Cooper told Go Team Liberia last month.
Fahnbulleh, who was born in 2001, is a Liberian-American sprinter and an Olympic finalist, a double National Collegiate Athletic Association Champion (NCAA), and placed fourth at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in the 200 meters race.
At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, he made it through to the final of the 200 meters race with a time of 19.99 seconds in the semi-final, setting a new Liberian national record in the process. He then finished in fifth place in the final 200 meters race, which again was a new national record with a time of 19.98 seconds.
On June 10, 2022, he won both the 100 m and 200 m events at the 2022 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships with times of 10.00 and 19.83, respectively, helping the Florida Gators to the 2022 NCAA men’s team title.
In the same year, he also placed fourth at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in the 200 meters, running 19.84 seconds in the final. Additionally, while competing in the 200 meters at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in 2023, he qualified from the semi-finals for his third consecutive major 200 meters final.
In March 2024, he was a bronze medalist in the 4x100m relay at the 2023 African Games, while in May 2024, he finished fourth in the 200 meters at the 2024 Prefontaine Classic.
Meanwhile, Dr. Moniba is calling upon all Liberians worldwide to rally in support of Fahnbulleh and his colleagues who are expected to participate in the Paris Olympics, and asserted, “The support of all Liberians is needed to motivate and push our Olympic participants to fight hard to bring medals home.”
“Our athletes need and deserve both financial and moral support to excel on the world stage. Their success brings pride and unity to our nation. Supporting our Olympians is crucial. Their achievements uplift the spirit of our nation and serve as a beacon of hope and resilience,” he said.
Moniba at the same time announced plans to meet with Fahnbulleh and other Liberian athletes who have qualified or are competing for qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympics to discuss fundraising efforts, so that “our athletes are well-supported in their Olympic journey.”
“Our athletes’ dedication and hard work deserve our full support. It is important we as a people come together to ensure they have the resources to shine in Paris,” Dr. Moniba added.
