Akwasi Frimpong, a Dutch-Ghanaian skeleton slider, will be one of the 11 athletes representing African nations, and the only one competing for Ghana, at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games.
Before he was confirmed to be competing at the Olympics last month, Frimpong, 31, was able to commute to training sessions and competitions in North America, carrying his sled and other pieces of equipment, with the help of a local dealer of Korean automaker Hyundai Motor throughout the 2017-18 season.
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Akwasi Frimpong (Courtesy of Akwasi Frimpong’s Instagram) |
Frimpong said the 2018 Santa Fe Sport SUV enabled him to drive 14-18 hours from his home in Salt Lake City, Utah, to places like Calgary, Alberta, Canada to train on ice for the PyeongChang Games. The athlete said he was “feeling blessed” on his Instagram account.
He was sponsored by premier dealer Murdock Hyundai Murray, located in Salt Lake City, which is home to one of 16 official ice tracks approved by the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation.
“Team #MurdockHyundaiMurray support this season made traveling to Olympic qualification races possible,” wrote Frimpong on his Instagram account.
Frimpong moved from Ghana to the Netherlands at 8 years old and competed as a sprinter and bobsledder for the country before becoming a skeleton slider representing Ghana in 2015.
In January, Frimpong was ranked No. 99 for 2017-18, according to the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation.
By Son Ji-hyoung
(
consnow@heraldcorp.com)
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