Tribune News Network
Doha/Paris
Qatar runner Ammar Ismail Yahia Ibrahim stood out clocking his personal best in the men’s 400m heats of the Paris 2024 Olympics at the Stade de France in Paris on Sunday.
Running alongside big guns Michael Norman of the USA and Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago, the Qatari held his own on his Olympic debut with an impressive personal best time of 44.66 secs.
The 27-year-old Ismail was fourth in a heat which saw five athletes finishing under 45 seconds, which speaks to the highly charged contest. The result saw the Qatari runner make the repechage round (to be run on Monday morning), giving him another shot at making the semi-finals of the 400m.
The repechage round was announced in July 2022 by World Athletics, the governing body for international track and field. It’s a second chance for runners who do not automatically qualify out of their respective first round into the semi-finals will have another shot to make the semis.
Norman topped the heat in 44.10 while Richards was second (44.31) and Botswana’s Busang Collen Kebinatshipi with his personal best was third in 44.45secs.
Samba, Hemeida, Doudai
in 400m hurdles today
On Monday, Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba will be in action in the men’s 400m hurdles at the Paris Olympics. Along with Samba, two other Qatar athletes – debutant Bassem Hemeida and Ismail Doudai Abakar have also qualified for the event. Qatar thus becomes the first Asian nation to participate in the discipline with three athletes at Olympics.
Samba, who has battled some injuries in the recent past is a two-time Asian Games champion and 2019 World Championships bronze medalist.
While Hemeida will run in Heat 1 at 11.05am, Samba will be in Heat 2 to be run at 11.13am, and Abakar in Heat 5 at 11.37am.
Cherif & Ahmed in
beach volleyball action
Qatar’s Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan will look to beat Chilean cousins Marco and Esteban Grimalt on Monday as they aim to secure a quarter-final berth at the Paris Olympics.
While the Qataris stormed into the second round with a dominant record, having clinched three outstanding wins in Pool A, their opponents had to win the ‘lucky losers’ clash against Canada’s Samuel Schachter and Daniel Dearing on Saturday.