More information has been revealed about the status of Tunisian swimmer and reigning 400 freestyle Olympic champion Ahmed Hafnaoui, as he told Tunisian news network AFP on Wednesday that he was currently suffering from an injury, but did not rule himself out of the Paris 2024 Olympic games completely.
“I’m currently suffering from an injury, and I don’t know whether or not I will participate in the Olympics,” Hafnaoui said.
The nature of Hafnaoui’s injury was not disclosed.
Hafnaoui’s mother Amira also said that her son’s absence in Paris was not confirmed, but the top priority is still his health.
“Even if he is absent, Ahmed is an Olympic champion and has achieved international recognition despite his young age, and there is still a long way to go before him to achieve the best. The priority currently is his physical and mental health,” Amira Hafnaoui said.
On Tuesday, Africa Aquatics initially reported that Hafnaoui would be missing the 2024 Paris Olympics, and that he longer planned on training in the United States under Mark Schubert. This news was also affirmed Tuesday by Mehrez Boussayene, the head of the Tunisian Olympic Committee. However, on Wednesday, he told AFP that nothing had been confirmed of Hafnaoui’s status yet.
See Also:
- Defending 400 Freestyle Olympic Champion Ahmed Hafnaoui Will Miss Paris Olympics
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Hafnaoui was one of the gold medal favorites in the 400, 800, and 1500 free events. At the 2023 World Championships, he won gold in the latter two events while taking silver in the former, becoming a top six performer of all-time in all three events. If he competes in Paris, he will have the change to pass Oussama Mellouli, who has a total of two gold medals and one bronze, to become Tunisia’s most decorated Olympic swimmer.
“More than just medals, we seek above all the well-being of this young man who brought us so much joy,” Boussayene said. “He will have other world competitions.”
SwimSwam: Ahmed Hafnaoui Currently Suffering From Undisclosed Injury, Is Unsure Of Paris Prospects
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