Abderrahman Samba leads Qatar's hopes for Olympic Gold in 400m Hurdles

(MENAFN) Abderrahman Samba is set to lead Qatar’s campaign in the men’s 400m hurdles at the Paris Olympics, aiming to achieve his "childhood dream" of winning a gold medal. Alongside Samba, Bassem Hemeida and Ismail Doudai Abakar have also qualified, marking the first time an Asian nation will be represented by three athletes in this discipline at the Olympics. The trio will compete in the heats scheduled for Monday at Stade de France, with Hemeida running first, followed by Samba in heat 2, and Abakar in heat 6. To advance, the top three athletes from each heat will qualify for the final, while the next three fastest will progress to the semi-final.

Samba, a two-time Asian Games champion and a bronze medalist at the 2019 World Championships, is Qatar’s primary hope for a medal in what is considered one of the most challenging events at the Olympics. This competition features top-tier athletes, including Norway’s Karsten Warholm, the Tokyo Olympic champion and world record-holder, US record-holder and Tokyo silver medalist Rai Benjamin, and Brazil’s 2022 world champion Alison dos Santos. Samba, who finished fifth at the Tokyo Olympics, expressed his aspirations in a video posted by the Qatar Olympic Committee, stating, "The 400m hurdles is one of the hardest events. If you win this time, you will be the best in history. I wish I can make that history."

MENAFN05082024000045015839ID1108517100