SINGAPORE: Tunisia’s Ahmed Jaouadi won his first major title with victory in the 800m freestyle at swimming’s world championships on Wednesday with a perfectly timed attack.
Jaouadi made his move midway through the race in Singapore and eased away to touch the wall in 7min 36.88sec, ahead of German pair Sven Schwarz (7:39.96) and 400m champion Lukas Maertens (7:40.19).
Jaouadi, who finished fourth at last year’s Paris Olympics, clocked the third-fastest time ever.
“I didn’t really think about strategy, I was just trying to control the race and see what happens,” said the 20-year-old.
“At some point I saw that the rhythm wasn’t that fast so I decided to just go and make the move.”
Ireland’s Olympic champion Daniel Wiffen finished last in 7:58.56.
Bobby Finke, the Olympic 1,500m champion, was fourth in 7:46.42.
Jaouadi dedicated his win to fellow Tunisian Ahmed Hafnaoui, a former Olympic and world champion who received a 21-month suspension in April for three anti-doping violations.
“This one is for Hafnaoui — he’s having some hard times now,” said Jaouadi.
Australia’s Sam Short, who qualified second-fastest for the final, was forced to withdraw hours before the race with stomach trouble.
Short, the silver medallist in the 400m freestyle, is the latest swimmer to be hit by illness this week in Singapore.
The United States team said the “overwhelming majority” of their swimmers had suffered from acute gastroenteritis, while Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi complained of feeling unwell before his 100m breaststroke final.
Tunisia’s Jaouadi wins 800m freestyle gold for first major title
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Tunisia’s Jaouadi wins 800m freestyle gold for first major title
- Tunisia’s Ahmed Jaouadi won his first major title with victory in the 800m freestyle at swimming’s world championships on Wednesday with a perfectly timed attack
Kuwait welcomes its new PFL MENA champion
- Mohammad Alaqraa, 25, hailed on return home after welterweight title win over Badreddine Diani in Alkhobar
DUBAI: On Dec.15 Mohammad Alaqraa touched down at Kuwait International Airport carrying something he had been chasing for years: the PFL MENA welterweight championship belt.
His arrival came just 10 days after a unanimous decision victory over Morocco’s Badreddine Diani at Dhahran Expo in Alkhobar, Saudi Arabia. It marked a significant milestone for the Kuwaiti fighter and the combat sports landscape in the Middle East.
Greeted at the airport by his father, brother, excited fans and media representatives, Alaqraa spoke about his plans.
“It’s been a long journey, thanks to everyone that came to the airport and past events. Just like I promised I’ll get the MENA championship, my goal is to raise Kuwait’s name in this sport (and) now I promise next time I’ll come back with a world title,” he said.
Alaqraa’s arrival became an impromptu celebration. Fans had phone cameras ready for selfies and videos as he emerged holding his belt.
The championship fight against Diani was a full five-round affair that showcased Alaqraa’s growth. The judges scored the bout 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47 in his favor. Alaqraa had established control through pressure wrestling, fence work, and a steady jab.
The win was sweet after losing by referee’s stoppage to Omar El-Dafrawy in the 2024 PFL MENA Finals.
Alaqraa defeated Omar Hussein and Ayman Galal en route to the 2025 finals, with his semifinal victory over Galal ending in just 21 seconds with an oblique kick, the fastest finish in PFL MENA history.
At 25 years old, Alaqraa now holds a 10-1 record in MMA. His background encompasses multiple martial arts disciplines developed since childhood. He holds a judo black belt and finished first in an International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation tournament before turning professional in 2021.
Since leaving Kuwait at 17 to pursue MMA, Alaqraa has trained at American Kickboxing Academy under head coach Javier Mendez, the gym that has produced champions including Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev.
Alaqraa graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in industrial systems engineering while developing his fighting career.
