Hafnaoui: Where there’s a will there’s a way

Sunday, July 25, during the first session of Swimming finals at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, Ahmed Hafnaoui (TUN) earns the most surprising and unexpected Olympic title so far. Swimming in lane 8, after clocking the last and eighth time of the heats in the 400m free, the 18-year-old Tunisian remain consistent and quite solid throughout the entire and touches the wall in 3:43.36.

Before the race, few, if none, would bet on him to become only the fourth ever gold medallist in Olympic history for his country. He succeeds to Mohammed Gammoudi (athletics, 1968) and Habiba Ghribi (athletics, 2012), and to a certain Oussama Mellouli, the swimming legend with a gold in the 1500m free (2008) and in the 10km (2012) – and the only in Olympic history to have a title in both the pool and marathon swimming. Mellouli also earned a bronze at the 1500m free in London and is in Tokyo to compete in the 10km race on August 5. 

Four days after his feat, and following his 10^th place in the 800m free (where he didn’t qualify for the final), the Tunisian star is already focused on the upcoming rendezvous. “I think Tunisia is still celebrating my gold medal. For me personally, I already start thinking about the next competitions, namely the FINA World Swimming Championships (25m), in December. Here is Tokyo, it is finished for me. I’ll take now a break upon my return to the country and then back to training”, confesses the young Olympic champion.

Hafnaoui’s progress in his pet event has been amazing over the last years. In May 2018, he was clocking 3:56.15 in the 400m free, then 3:55.94 in Buenos Aires, where he finished eighth at the Youth Olympic Games, followed by a 3:53.34 effort in February 2019. In August that year, at the World Juniors in Budapest he is 10^th in 3:52.05, and in February 2020, just before the challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic he clocks 3:49.90 and still tries the 10km event at the FINA Marathon Swim World Series in Doha. We find Hafnaoui again in action in June this year, at the French Nationals, where he established his entry time for the Games, 3:46.16. He improves once more that performance in the heats in Tokyo (3:45.68), before establishing his outstanding 3:43.36 for the Olympic gold.

Before the Tokyo rendezvous, Hafnaoui, born on December 4, 2002 had admitted that his full potential for a possible medal presence in the Games would only come by the time of the Paris 2024 Olympics. He did it three years in advance. “Yes, Paris 2024. That was my initial goal. Now, that I have done it here in Japan, we can of course expect better. I want to continue working like this and constantly improve. I compete in 400/800m free, but will now also focus to the 1500m, and who knows the 10km”. Still 100% Tunisian swim-made, Hafnaoui admitted during the Press Conference following his race that he is looking for an eventual US opportunity for the improvement of his career.