Team Qatar stars to take up 400m hurdles challenge
Paris, Qatar: Abderrahman Samba will spearhead Qatar’s charge in the men’s 400m hurdles, hoping to fulfill his “childhood dream” of winning an Olympic Games gold medal in Paris.
With Bassem Hemeida and Ismail Doudai Abakar also qualifying, Qatar will become the first nation from Asia to participate in the discipline with three athletes in Olympics.
The trio will hope to advance as heats are scheduled for Monday at Stade de France with Hemeida first to take the track followed by Samba (heat 2) and Abakar (heat 6). The top three athletes from the heats will enter the final while the next three fastest will reach the semi-final.
Samba – a two-time Asian Games champion and 2019 World Championships bronze medalists – will be Qatar’s main medal hope in the competition dubbed one of the most difficult challenges in the ongoing Olympics.
The event will see the likes of Norway’s Karsten Warholm – a Tokyo Olympic champion, three-time world champion and world record-holder, US record-holder Rai Benjamin, the Tokyo silver medallist, and Brazil’s 2022 world champion Alison dos Santos in action.
“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,” Samba, who finished fifth in Tokyo Olympics, said in a video posted by the Qatar Olympic Committee on X.
The 28-year-old whose career has been marred by injuries made his return from the recent lay-off at the Stockholm Diamond League in June clocking 49.69 secs. But he showed improvement winning the Meeting Madrid 2024 with a time of 47.97. In July, he clocked 48.27 at Monaco Diamond League.
“Injuries are the enemy of any athlete. I am so happy I am healthy, hopefully I can perform well in Paris”, said Samba.
Despite facing an uphill task, Samba is targeting a victory in Paris.
“I am so proud I am representing Qatar, hopefully can I make the people of Qatar proud too. Wining the Olympic Games is one of my biggest dreams, and I am still dreaming to make it happen. I am really close and I think Paris is going to be the place I can achieve my dream.”
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