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EGYPT: PARIS OLYMPICS 2024: Modern pentathlon: Ahmed Elgendy claims men’s Olympic gold for Egypt after dominant performance

The bespectacled Ahmed Elgendy claimed Olympic gold in modern pentathlon at the Palace of Versailles on Saturday, 10 August for the first Olympic gold medal for Egypt and Africa in the sport. The Tokya 2020 silver medallist did so with a world record score of 1,555 points.

Japan won their first ever Olympic medal in the sport courtesy of Sato Taishu with silver with 1,542 points and Giorgio Malan took bronze with 1,536 points, Italy’s first medal in modern pentathlon since Seoul 1988.

“It means a lot because the last three years that I’ve been competing, I’ve had a lot of struggles and many physical and mental problems with injuries and pain,” said Elgendy. “I’m happy that it didn’t stop me. I’m happy to win at these games in 2024, with the last horse riding.

“It’s the only gold medal (for Egypt) in this Olympic Games (so far). We had one bronze earlier, and one silver today in weightlifting. I’m so proud to get this medal for Egypt.”

“I was aiming for the gold medal,” said Sato. “Still, I am happy because this is my first medal as a Japanese athlete.

“I’m very excited to see the people’s reaction when I get home to Japan.”

“The laser run was very hard,” said Malan. “All are very good, and I had to try to reach my highest limits. The last shooting, I did (well). I gave it all the last lap, and it was enough for bronze.”

Defending Olympic champion Joe Choong of Great Britain struggled with the fencing aspect, leaving him with too much to do in the final laser-run, finishing in ninth (1,519 points).

Elgendy had promised he would win Olympic gold after claiming silver to Choong in Tokyo and honoured that pledge in style with an almost faultless performance, with all five sports taking place in one venue for the first time.

Heading into the final laser run, which comprises five 600m laps broken up by four visits to the shooting range, Elgendy’s 50-second lead — amassed through the equestrian jumping, fencing and swimming disciplines — enabled him to uncharacteristically miss a few shots on the range but still win with ease.

The second-placed athletes heading into the laser run, 17 seconds after the Egyptian, were Switzerland’s Alexandre Dallenbach and Jun Woongtae of the Republic of Korea, who had the same number of points.

The Swiss struggled with the first phase of shooting, eventually finishing 14th. Jun, the bronze medallist in Japan, was overtaken in the final stages by the first sprinting Italian duo of Malan and Matteo Cicinelli (1,532), who finished fifth, and Mexico’s Emiliano Hernandez, in fourth (1,532).

source/content: olympics.com (headline edited)

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Picture by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

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EGYPT

TUNISIA : PARIS OLYMPICS 2024: Mohamed Khalil Jendoubi wins bronze in taekwondo at Paris 2024

The 22-year-old backs up his silver-medal winning heroics from Tokyo with more Olympic glory.

Tunisia’s Mohamed Khalil Jendoubi went through his full repertoire of tricks to seal bronze in the men’s taekwondo -58kg category at Paris 2024 on Wednesday.

Remarkably, Jendoubi, the silver medallist at the same weight from the Tokyo Games, now has two Olympic medals in his collection at just 22 years old. He also won bronze at the 2022 World Championships and is the reigning African champion.

He was denied a shot at gold – or another silver – by defeat to Park Tae-joon of South Korea in the semi-finals.

Instead, he found himself in the bronze medal match against the second seed Adrian Vicente of Spain, who had earlier beaten Palestine’s Omar Ismail in the Round of 16.

Vicente edged in front with a punch to lead 1-0, but Jendoubi responded in emphatic fashion and led for the remainder of the contest.

Two scoring head kicks, one awarded after review, along with two body kicks and a penalty saw him take the first round 11-3.

The second round was initially closer but Jendoubi edged 2-0 in front with a scoring kick to the trunk.

A head kick, followed by another scoring shot to the trunk, stretched his advantage to 7-0 and all but sealed the win.

At that point he showcased all his skills as he put on a show in the closing stages to seal a 12-1 victory in the round – and with it a bronze medal.

It was Tunisia’s second medal of these Games following fencer Fares Ferjani’s superb silver in the men’s individual sabre.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Dunya Abutaleb narrowly missed out on a historic bronze in the women’s -49kg category.

Abutaleb, who was bidding to become the Kingdom’s first ever female Olympic medallist, lost 2-0 in the bronze medal contest against Iran’s Mobina Nematzadeh.

The Iranian sneaked the first round 3-0 with a head kick with just seconds left on the clock.

Abutaleb, 27, thought she was on course to level the match but her appeal for a head kick of her own wasn’t upheld in the second round.

Nematzadeh then contorted impressively to land a scorpion kick and seal her bronze medal in style.

Earlier in the day, Palestine’s Ismail was defeated in the men’s -58kg Round of 16 – but not before pushing the experienced Vicente close.

UAE-based Ismail, who lives in Sharjah, was seconds away from taking the match into a deciding round.

After losing the first round 8-3, Ismail led the second 6-3 with 10 seconds remaining, but a head kick from Vicente in the final exchanges turned the contest back in the Spaniard’s favour.

Considering the pedigree of his opponent – Vicente won bronze at last year’s World Championships – Ismail, 18, proved he can challenge the best in the sport.

Ismail had earlier made a winning start to his campaign with a 2-0 victory over Hadi Tiranvalipour of the Refugee Olympic Team.

Ismail won the first round 4-3 to take an early lead and followed it up with a 5-0 second-round victory to book his place in the Round of 16.

source/content: thenationalnews.com (headline edited)

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Mohamed Khalil Jendoubi celebrates with his coaches after claiming a bronze medal. Getty Images

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TUNISIA

JORDAN: PARIS OLYMPICS 2024 : Zaid Mustafas’s first silver medal in Taekwondo at Paris Olympics

Zaid Mustafa of the national taekwondo team has clinched the silver medal in the men’s under-68 kg category at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

On Thursday evening, HRH Prince Feisal bin Hussein, president of the Jordan Olympic Committee and member of the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee, presented Mustafa with his medal.

Prince Feisal congratulated Mustafa on his achievement, which was Jordan’s first medal at the Paris Games, and praised his exceptional performance throughout the competition.

Mustafa’s win adds to Jordan’s growing Olympic legacy, adding to the Kingdom’s previous gold, silver and bronze medals from the last three Olympiads.

source/content: jordantimes.com (headlines edited)

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Mustafa’s win adds to Jordan’s growing Olympic legacy (Petra photo)

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JORDAN

ALGERIA : PARIS OLYMPICS 2024: Kaylia Nemour wins Algeria’s first gymnastics gold at Paris Olympics 2024

The 17-year-old outscored China’s Qiu Qiyuan and USA’s Sunisa Lee in the uneven bars final for Algeria’s first medal in Paris.

Algerian teenager Kaylia Nemour wept tears of joy as she became the first African athlete to win an Olympic gymnastics medal with gold on the uneven bars in Paris, outshining several big names in the competition and registering her country’s first medal at the 2024 Olympic Games.

The 17-year-old French-born athlete’s breathtaking routine wowed the crowd in at the Bercy Arena on Sunday and helped her bag the title ahead of China’s Qiu Qiyuan, with Team USA’s Sunisa Lee snatching bronze. Defending Olympic uneven bars champion Nina Derwael of Belgium finished fourth.

Nemour was under pressure after Qiyuan posted a score of 15.500 with an immaculate routine, but the rising star of gymnastics outperformed the Chinese gymnast with an exceptionally difficult routine to finish with a score of 15.700.

The Algerian’s fast-paced routine, featuring a number of complex release-and-catch manoeuvres, delighted the crowd.

As soon as she landed, Nemour was in tears, knowing she had perhaps done enough to land her country’s first-ever gold in gymnastics and first medal of the Paris Olympics.

‘Performance of my life’

Emotions ran high for the young gymnast when her triumph was confirmed and she draped herself with the Algerian flag before stepping up to soak in the applause.

“I’m so shocked, it’s the dream of all my life. I can’t believe it has happened, I’m speechless,” said Nemour.

“In qualifying I had 15.600, when I saw her 15.500 I said, I really had to fight and gave the performance of my life,” said the Algerian.

“It’s crazy. I’m honoured to have this medal after all that has happened. It’s a relief.”

Nemour has competed for Algeria since last year after a dispute with the French gymnastics federation, but found plenty of support at the Bercy Arena.

source/content: aljazeera.com (headline edited)

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Kaylia Nemour was in tears upon planting her feet after her routine [Loic Venance/AFP]

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ALGERIA / FRENCH

ALGERIA : PARIS OLYMPICS 2024 : Djamel Sedjati takes bronze in 800m final as Algeria have their best Olympics

Runner clinches third place and joins gold medallists Kelif and Nemour.

Djamel Sedjati won a bronze medal in the 800m final in Paris on Saturday to help Algeria to achieve their most successful Olympic Games.

He joins gold medal winners Kaylia Neymour and Imane Khelif on the podium at these Games.

Pre-race favourite Sedjati was beaten by Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi and world champion Marco Arop of Canada at the Stade de France on Saturday night.

Wanyonyi clocked a personal best of 1 min 41.19 secs, with Arop taking silver just one-hundredth of a second behind in a North American record. Sedjati finished in 1:41.50.

After the race, Wanyonyi, 20, said: “This race was tough for me. I felt more pressure because I knew it’s not easy. Sedjati is not easy (to beat), he’s a tough guy.”

Sedjati said: “I won the bronze medal, but I wanted the gold medal.

“It was a very fast race. I didn’t start very well, but I’m very happy with the medal after the medals from Kaylia Nemour in gymnastics and Imane Khelif in boxing.

“I’m very proud to bring home the third medal for Algeria. It’s one of the fastest Olympic finals in history, with four runners on 1:41. I already did my maximum to ensure I got on the podium. I’m happy with this bronze medal.”

Boxer Khelif defeated China’ Yang Liu to win the final of the women’s 66kg division to take gold on Friday night.

The 25-year-old, who has seen her campaign in Paris overshadowed by a gender controversy, defied her critics as she comprehensively outboxed Yang to earn a richly deserved unanimous decision in front of thousands of noisy Algerian fans at Roland Garros.

Khelif, who only started boxing eight years ago, scored again and again with her jab and backed it up with her signature straight right hand as she swept all three rounds 5-0 for the biggest win of her career.

“I’m very happy. For eight years this has been my dream and I’m now the Olympic champion and gold medallist,” said Khelif. “I’ve worked for eight years, no sleep, eight years tired. Now I’m Olympic champion.

“I want to thank all the people who have come to support me. All the people from Algeria and all the people at my base. I want to thank all the team, my coach. Thank you so much.”

Nemour produced “the performance of her life” to become the first Algerian and African to win an Olympic gymnastics medal with gold on the uneven bars on Sunday.

The 17-year-old took the title ahead of China’s Qiu Qiyuan, with American Sunisa Lee snatching bronze with the final performance of the session. Defending champion Nina Derwael of Belgium finished fourth.

“I’m so shocked, it’s the dream of all my life. I can’t believe it has happened, I’m speechless,” said Nemour.

source/content: thenationalnews.com (headline edited)

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Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati with his bronze medal after the 800m final at Stade de France on August 10, 2024. Getty Images

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ALGERIA

MOROCCO : PARIS OLYMPICS 2024 : Morocco Celebrates Gold as Soufiane El Bakkali Triumphs in 3,000m Steeplechase

Morocco’s Mohamed Tindouflt finished in 12th place.

In a spectacular finale at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Moroccan runner Soufiane El Bakkali delivered an unsurprising and outstanding performance, securing the gold in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase.

El Bakkali crossed the finish line first with a time of 8:06:05.

El Bakkali demonstrated remarkable resilience during the race, initially starting in fifth and fourth positions.

Despite the challenging beginning, the Moroccan runner advanced through the field.

Throughout the rounds, Ethiopian runners dominated the competition.

El Bakkali however moved between third and fourth positions and also faced other challenges that saw him in seventh position, but he surged forward in the final minutes to do what he has always done for the past years.

Meanwhile, Mohamed Tindouft finished in 12th place. But the Moroccan representative did also show positive signs and was able to lead the race in the last minutes.

The second position was clinched by the US runner, Kenneth Rooks with a time of 8:06:41. Kenya’s Kibiwot was fourth and was followed by Tunisia’s Jhinaoui.

Soufiane Bakkali’s historic podium finish has brought immense pride and celebration to Morocco, marking a significant achievement after several heartbreaking defeats and early exits by Moroccan representatives at the Paris Olympics.

El Bakkali won two gold medals at the World Athletics Championships, triumphing in both 2022 and 2023.

His long list of achievements includes a third-place finish at the 2019 African Games and a second-place finish at the 2018 African Championships.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, El Bakkali secured gold in his specialty event with a time of 8:08.90, finishing ahead of Ethiopia’s Girma and Kenya’s Benjamin Kigen.

source/content: moroccoworldnews.com (headline edited)

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Morocco’s champion Soufiane Bakkali

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MOROCCO

MOROCCAN Noor Slaoui: 1st Arab woman to represent MENA in equestrian sports at Paris 2024 Olympics

Noor Slaoui, a 29-year-old Moroccan, has become the first Arab female equestrian to represent Africa and the Middle East after qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics, it was announced on Wednesday.

The professional rider has officially qualified for the Olympics, becoming one of two representatives from Africa and the Middle East, a media statement said.

Slaoui’s journey to this prestigious event marks a significant milestone in her career and for the region’s equestrian sports.

The 29-year-old is dedicated to promoting the development of equestrian sports in the MENA region, with the aim of inspiring greater representation in the coming years.

“I am honored and excited to represent my region at the Paris 2024 Olympics. This journey has been a testament to the dedication and support of my team and the incredible bond with my horses,” she said.

Slaoui said that she looked forward to challenging herself and showcasing the talent from the MENA region on the Olympic stage.
“While medals are a goal, my focus is on building a strong foundation for success in the years to come,” she said.

Her passion for horses began in childhood while exploring Morocco’s landscape on horseback. This early love of animals and nature evolved into a dream of making a career of her equestrian interests.

After attaining her baccalaureate at 18, Slaoui took a gap year and moved to France. She earned her riding instructor certification at the National Riding School in Saumur, setting her on the path to equestrian sports and competition.

Later, she moved to the UK to pursue her journey and studied political science at the University of Warwick. It was during that time that when she discovered eventing, often described as the “triathlon of equestrian sports.”

Working with professional riders to refine her skills, the Moroccan managed to balance her practical experience and academic studies.

After meeting her coach and business partner, Deborah Fellous, on graduation they launched her professional riding career, representing group F — “Africa & Middle East” — on the international stage.

Currently, they manage a professional yard in England, home to 17 horses, dedicated to breeding, training and preparing them for top-tier competitions.

Over the past seven years, Slaoui has achieved several notable milestones, becoming the first Moroccan female rider to compete internationally in eventing, and representing the MENA region at the World Championships for Young Horses in 2022 and 2023.

She also participated in Nations Cup events and secured top 10 finishes in 4-star competitions.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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Noor Slaoui, a 29-year-old Moroccan, has become the first Arab female equestrian to represent Africa and the Middle East after qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Supplied)

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MOROCCO

ALGERIA : PARIS OLYMPICS 2024 : Algerian Boxer Imane Khelif clinches medal at Paris Olympics 2024 after gender outcry

Khelif defeated Anna Luca Hamori of Hungary 5:0 in the quarterfinals of the women’s 66-kilogram bout
She will win at least a bronze medal after defeating Hamori for the second victory of her tumultuous second trip to the Olympics

Boxer Imane Khelif of Algeria clinched a medal Saturday at the Paris Olympics following days of sharp scrutiny and online abuse as misconceptions about her gender have exploded into a larger clash about identity in sports.

Khelif defeated Anna Luca Hamori of Hungary 5:0 in the quarterfinals of the women’s 66-kilogram bout.

Khelif will win at least a bronze medal after defeating Hamori for the second victory of her tumultuous second trip to the Olympics.

Khelif was faced international scrutiny after the banned International Boxing Association claimed Khelif failed an unspecified eligibility test for women’s competition last year. She then won her opening bout Thursday when opponent Angela Carini of Italy tearfully abandoned the fight after just 46 seconds.

The unusual ending became a sharp wedge to drive into an already prominent divide over gender identity and regulations in sports, drawing comments from the likes of former US President Donald Trump, “Harry Potter” writer J.K. Rowling and others falsely claiming Khelif was a man or transgender.

At a Paris Games that has championed inclusion and seen other outcry over an opening ceremony performance featuring drag queens, LGBTQ+ groups say the hateful comments could pose dangers to their community and female athletes.
IOC President Thomas Bach on Saturday defended Khelif and fellow boxer Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan. Khelif and Lin were disqualified in the middle of last year’s world championships by the International Boxing Association, the now-banned former governing body of Olympic boxing, after what it claimed were failed eligibility tests for the women’s competition.

Both had competed in IBA events for several years without problems, and the Russian-dominated body — which has faced years of clashes with the IOC over judging scandals, leadership decisions and financial issues — has refused to provide any information about the tests, underscoring its lack of transparency in nearly every aspect of its dealings, particularly in recent years.

“Let’s be very clear here: We are talking about women’s boxing,” Bach said Saturday. “We have two boxers who are born as a woman, who have been raised a woman, who have a passport as a woman, and who have competed for many years as women. And this is the clear definition of a woman. There was never any doubt about them being a woman.”

The IBA, which received the unprecedented punishment of being banned from Olympic participation in 2019 following years of conflict with the IOC, disqualified Khelif last year for what it said were elevated levels of testosterone.

The IBA, which is led by an acquaintance of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has not released more details on the tests, calling the process confidential.

“What we see now is that some want to own the definition of who is a woman,” Bach added. “And there I can only invite them to come up with a scientific-based new definition of who is a woman, and how can somebody being born, raised, competed and having a passport as a woman cannot be considered a woman?

“If they are coming up with something, we are ready to listen,” Bach added. “We are ready to look into it, but we will not take part in a sometimes politically motivated cultural war.”

Khelif will clinch at least a bronze medal in her second Olympics after failing to medal at the Tokyo Games held in 2021.

Khelif will face Janjaem Suwannapheng of Thailand in the 66-kg semifinals on Tuesday at Roland Garros. Suwannpheng, a silver medalist at last year’s world championships, upset defending Olympic champion Busenaz Surmeneli a few minutes before Khelif’s victory.

Lin, also a two-time Olympian, will clinch her first medal Sunday if she beats Svetlana Staneva of Bulgaria. Lin won her opening bout Friday comfortably over Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova.

Amid the scrutiny, both Khelif and Lin have received only cheers from the crowds at North Paris Arena.

“What is going on in this context in the social media, with all this hate speech, with all this aggression and abuse, and fueled by this agenda, is totally unacceptable,” Bach said.

The reduced field at the Paris Olympics boxing tournament — which has the fewest number of total boxers since 1956 — means that many fighters can clinch medals with just two victories. Boxing awards two bronze medals in each weight class, which means every semifinalist wins a medal.

The Olympic sport reached gender parity for the first time in Paris, inviting 124 men and 124 women just 12 years after women’s boxing made its Olympic debut.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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ALGERIA

LEBANESE Al-Reyad Team is Champion of the Asian Basketball Champions League

The Lebanese Al-Riyad team won the 2024 Asian Basketball Champions League title after defeating the Shabab Al-Ahly team 122-96, in the final match that brought them together today, Saturday, at the Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Hall in Dubai.

With this victory, the athletes qualified to represent the Asian continent in the Confederations Cup, which will be held in Singapore next September, while Shabab Al-Ahly won second place, and the Japanese Hiroshima Dragonflies team came in third place after defeating Iranian Shahrdari Gorgan 81-76 in the match that preceded the final.

source/content: wam.ae (headline edited)

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LEBANON

PALESTINE’s First ever Olympian Majed Abu Maraheel dies in Gaza from lack of treatment due to Israel’s war

Palestine’s first ever Olympian dies in Gaza from lack of treatment due to Israel’s war.

The first Palestinian athlete to participate in the Olympic games died on Wednesday at the Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza as a result of kidney failure due to power outages and medical shortages as a result of the ongoing Israeli war and siege of the enclave.

Majed Abu Maraheel, who passed away at the age of 61, became the first athlete to be the flag bearer and represent Palestinians at the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996. Being a distance runner, he competed in the 10km race.

Since his breakthrough on the world stage, more than 20 Palestinian men and women have been able to compete at Olympic competitions.

“He was a Palestinian icon, and he will remain as such,” his brother told Paltoday TV after the funeral.

“We tried to evacuate him to Egypt but then the Rafah crossing was closed (by Israel), and his condition kept deteriorating.”

In his preparation for the Olympics, Abu Maraheel would often be seen on his daily runs from his home in Gaza to the Erez Crossing with Israel, which Israel closed in October after imposing a full blockade on the Strip. Last month, it was reopened for the first time since then.

He would often have to pass through that crossing for his job as a day labourer in Israel.

After participating in the Olympics, Abu Maraheel went on to become a coach for other Palestinian runners hoping to replicate his presence at the international competition.

He went on to coach Nader el-Masri, another Palestinian from Gaza who competed in the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing.

Abu Maraheel’s death highlights the grim fate of many Palestinians who are facing kidney failure in Gaza.

A report from the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor in March found that there were between 1,000 to 1,500 patients in Gaza with kidney failure, and that they are facing a “slow death” because of “a lack of medical and therapeutic services, medications and other necessities”.

Since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October, Israeli forces have launched a full siege on the enclave. In addition to killing more than 37,000 Palestinians, they have repeatedly targeted and attacked Gaza’s hospitals and healthcare infrastructure.

A report late last month by the Washington Post said that only four of Gaza’s 36 hospitals have not been damaged by munitions or been raided by Israeli forces.

However, the lack of supplies in the area because of Israel’s blockade has further exacerbated the situation.

Israel denies blocking humanitarian aid into Gaza, though aid agencies say they are not able to get aid in because of Israeli restrictions.

source/content: middleeasteye.net (headline edited)

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Majed Abu Maraheel became the first athlete to represent Palestinians at the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996 (X)

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PALESTINE