Barshim's Fourth Olympic Medal, Al Attiyah's Triumphs Headline Qatar's Sporting Year

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Chinthana Wasala | The Peninsula

Doha, Qatar: Mutaz Barshim's fourth Olympic medal caps a standout year for Qatar in the sporting world as 2024 draws to a close.

A delegation of 14 athletes proudly represented Qatar in its 11th consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris, aiming to make their presence felt at the world's biggest stage.

At the unique opening ceremony held at River Seine in Paris, Barshim and Shahad Mohammed led the way, carrying the national flag.

Barshim, already a winner of a gold and two silver medals in the three previous Games, etched his name into history by claiming a bronze medal to become the first athlete to win four Olympic medals in the high jump. In the run up to the Paris Games, Barshim, the Asian record holder and the second best high jumper ever, had wowed home fans as he won the 'What Gravity Challenge' at the Katara Amphitheatre competing alongside a stellar line-up.

Meanwhile, on racetrack, apart from playing host to some of the world's most followed events, Qatar earned several accolades as motorsport teams and drivers dominated the circuit in 2024. The QMMF by HRT team clinched four consecutive victories in endurance racing, including the prestigious 24-hour race in Barcelona and the 12-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps.

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Despite failing to secure another Dakar Rally title mainly due to mechanical issues, five-time champion Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah clinched his third consecutive World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) title, marking his eighth world title overall.

Abdulaziz Al Kuwari, alongside his co-driver Nasser Al Kuwari clinched his maiden FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) title at the Cyprus International Rally in October, also becoming the fifth Qatari driver to win the prestigious accolade.

Adding to the Qatar's achievements, Ammar Ismail delivered a career-best performance in the 400-meter dash at the Paris Games, setting a time of 44.66 seconds to earn his qualification for the 2025 World Championships which will be held in Tokyo, Japan. At the same time, Abderrahman Samba advanced to his second consecutive Olympic 400 metres hurdles final and finished in fifth place.

Abubaker Abdullah competed in the 800-meter event, marking his third Olympic appearance.

Qatar's ace beach volleyball duo of Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan also showcased outstanding talent despite missing out on back to back bronze medals as they finished fourth overall.

The duo won silver at the Joao Pessoa Elite16 tournament in Brazil in October. The former World No.1 pair also won the bronze medal at the Beach Pro Tour Finals in Doha earlier this month to add to their impressive performances list which also earned the Team of the Season Award by the Qatar Olympic Committee at the 2024 Sports Excellence Awards.

Fares Ibrahim also continued winning in 2024. The star athlete secured two silver medals at the Manama 2024 World Weightlifting Championships in Bahrain and added two gold medals and a bronze at the Qatar Cup IWF Grand Prix in Doha, lifting a personal best of 400kg.

Ibrahim, the Tokyo Games gold winner, arrived at Paris 2024 Olympics as the second best in the global rankings, but was unable to finish his participation in the Men's 102kg weight class due to an injury.

However, Ibrahim capped the year with an illustrious performance at the Qatar International Cup and Arab Weightlifting Championship in December, winning a total of six medals in Doha yesterday.

Qatar's shooters also shone on the global stage.

Rashid Saleh Al Athba and Saeed Abu Sharab secured Olympic qualifications through exceptional performances at international events.

The country's top skeet shooter Al Athba competed against a star-studded line-up in Paris, but failed to reach the podium. The 43-year-old Al Athba had earlier earned the Paris 2024 qualification after winning the World Skeet Championships bronze and the Asian Championships gold. He also claimed a bronze medal in June's ISSF World Cup 2024 in Lunato, Italy.

Paris 2024 was Al Athba's third Olympic appearance after participating in the men's double trap at the 2004 Olympics and the trap and double trap events at the 2012 Olympics.

Qatar's handball team stamped their dominance once again in 2024, securing their 6th consecutive Asian Men's Championship title in January.

The Valero Rivera - coached men maintained their impressive streak that began in 2014, defeating Japan in the final to solidify their position Asia's top handball team.

At the end of the season Sports Excellence Awards, Barshim was named Male Athlete of the Year, while shooter Amal Mohammed Mahmoud was awarded Female Athlete of the Season, recognizing their contributions to sport.

With unwavering support from the country's wise leadership, the World's Sport Capital looks forward to 2025 with renewed hopes as another year of sport dawns tomorrow with all eyes on Qatar's growing talent which aim to shine brighter than ever.

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