Text: Editorial
On the road to the Olympics, 19 Arab Athletics members have contested for 22nd Arab Athletics Championships in Rades, a harbour 10 kilometres from the capital, Tunis. Nearly all the stars featured in the event as seven championships record have fallen.
Arguably, the leading single performance of the championships came in men’s shot put on the first day. 20-year-old Abdelrahman Mahmoud of Bahrain has started his first senior season at Belarus Indoor calendar event where he threw 21.10m in February, making a stunning effort. He threw 21.15 metres to break 13-year-old Asian record as well as breaking championship best. Fast-rising Mahmoud became the first Bahraini to win the shot put title in Arab Champs.
Another Bahraini who broke a championship record was Sadik Mikhou in 1500 metres. Moroccan-born mid distance athlete finished his 27-month biological passport suspension in December 2020, back on track strongly. Mikhou clocked 3:33.81 to win the 1500 metres while closes his lifetime best from 2013, and finished 5000 metres with silver medal as well.
SPRINTERS SWEPT
Asian 100 metres record holder Femi Ogunode from Qatar concludes his second Arab Champs sprint double after 2015, while clocking the championship record in 100 metres with 10.19. His brother, Tosin, accompanied him on the 100 metres podium with a silver medal.
In women’s side, Iraqi sprint star Dana Abdurrazak secured an unchallenged double at age of 35. She broke both national and championship records in both sprints, 11.24 in 100 metres and 22.51 in 200 metres while obtaining Olympic standards. African Games medallist Basant Hemida became the first Egyptian female sprinter to reach Arab Champs podium as she left Rades with two silver medals.
MOROCCAN LEAD
On the field, brightest name of the event was Yasser Triki with two titles in jumping. The talented Algerian came out to the championships with freshly broken Algerian TJ record, and struck double gold in Rades Stadium runway. Triki, studied in Texas A&M University, marked 17.26 – new CR – and 7.96 in last two days of the championships to taking gold medals.
Meanwhile we’re not mention to Morrocan single performances yet, must be note they have most successful team overall. The Maghribians stood on the podium 31 times in five days, 10 of them was gold. Morocco became overall medal standings winner for ninth-time, including six in last eight editions. By the way, they strenghtened their top position in the overall table after Rades 2021, just five gold margin over neighbours Algeria.
