2024 PARIS SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES
- Pool Swimming: July 27 – August 4, 2024
- Open Water Swimming: August 8 – 9, 2024
- La Défense Arena — Paris, France
- LCM (50 meters)
- Meet Central
- Full Swimming Schedule
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- Pick ’em Contest
- How To Watch
- Entry Lists
- Live Results
- Prelims Live Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4
- Finals Live Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4
Ahmed Hafnaoui shocked the world and himself at the Tokyo Olympics as he won the 400 freestyle from lane 8. His time of 3:43.36, while fast enough to win gold, was still shy of the national and continental records set by his compatriot Ous Mellouli in 2009 of 3:41.11.
At last summer’s World Championships in Fukuoka, Hafnaoui unleashed his full potential. He may have fallen short in winning the 400-meter freestyle, but in earning the silver medal, he not only broke Mellouli’s records but also became the fifth-fastest performer in the event ever.
While the 400 might not yielded the results Hafnaoui wished for, the Tunisian did win the 800 and 1500 in two of the most hotly contested races of the meet, beating out both Australia’s Samuel Short and the USA’s Bobby Finke. With such results in hand, Hafnaoui was expected to be a favorite to medal in the 400/800/1500 free at these Olympics but withdrew from the meet, after a turbulent fall saw him leave his training group at Indiana after just two collegiate duel meets.
However, the Tunisian tradition of distance excellence has carried on as another Ahmed picks up the torch. Ahmed Jaouadi, 19, made his first appearance on the international stage at the 2024 Doha Worlds, where he placed 25th in the 400 free in 3:49.85.
Jaouadi, who trains in France with the French club AAS Sacrelles Natation 95, turned that 3:49.85 into a 3:45.95 just a month later, earning his first Olympic Qualifying time cut. Participating at the French Elite Championships last month, Jaouadi added two more events to his entries for Paris: the 800 and 1500, the latter of which he won in a personal best of 14:48.69. The time dropped over 21 seconds off his best time and vaulted him up into the top ten of this season’s world rankings.
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In the 400, Jaouadi was just off his best, finishing 9th in a time of 3:46.19, just .44 away from making the final. However, the Tunisian took that experience and left nothing to chance in the prelims of the men’s 800 free.
Entered as the 10th seed, Jaouadi swam his way into the final, dropping over three seconds from his personal best and recording a new time of 7:42.07, which was the 2nd fastest of the morning and cracked the top 20 of all-time performers.
While he was a little slower in the finals, his time of 7:42.83 not only marked his second swim under 7:45 and was just one spot outside of the medals, albeit 3.45 seconds back of bronze, but also was a huge personal achievement for someone who not 6 months ago was just 24th at a sparsely attended World Championships but also has been dealing with a swimming federation whose board was dismissed on the orders of the Tunisian president in response WADA’s sanctions against Tunisia’s Agence nationale antidopage (ANAD).
Jaouadi is not done with his Olympic Program, as he still has the 1500 to contest. The 11th seed, Jaouadi, if he is able to replicate his time drop from the 800, could easily find himself amongst the mix of finalists, and while a medal may be a bit of a reach, this summer, Jaouadi could find himself the next distance star in four years time (or less) and see his name next to Mellouli and Hafnaoui as an Olympic and World Championships medalist.
Other Continental News
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- The women’s 100 free saw two national records fall by the wayside. Sudan’s Rana Saadeldin swam 1:04.72 to erase her own mark of 1:05.56. Uganda’s Gloria Muzito erased her former national mark of 56.01 with her prelims swim of 55.95. Muzito, who spent time training and living in Sweden, has more recently been competing with her college team, Florida State.
Continental/National Records
- African Record
- M. 100 Back: Pieter Coetze (RSA) – 52.58
- Benin
- M. 100 Back: Alexis Kpadi – 57.61
- South Africa
- M. 1oo Back: Pieter Coetze – 52.58
- Sudan
- W. 100 Free: Rana Saadeldin – 1:04.72
- Uganda
- W. 100 Free: Gloria Muzito – 55.95
Medal Summary
| Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | |
| South Africa | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |