Original Story Published by: Middle East Monitor, www.middleeastmonitor.com
Photo Source: Getty Image – Ian MacNicol
(Above) Ahmed Hafnaoui
The Tokyo Olympics delivered a day of high drama on Sunday with a stunning surprise in the pool, netting Tunisia a gold medal.
Tunisia are unlikely to add to their solitary gold but no medal of the Games will be celebrated more wildly than that earned via the astounding achievement of 18-year-old Ahmed Hafnaoui, who stunned the swimming superpowers with victory from lane eight in the men's 400m freestyle.
Hafnaoui had set a personal best to qualify for the final and then improved again by more than two seconds to beat the Australian Jack McLoughlin and American Kieran Smith into second and third place.
Hafnaoui, who became only the fourth Tunisian athlete to ever win Olympic gold, was asked about his huge improvement, saying: "I was surprised at first that I was a finalist and now I am surprised I won a gold medal. It's unbelievable. I didn't believe it until I touched the wall and saw my face first.".
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