Tokyo 2020 Olympics: First Gold for Arabs by Tunisian Hafnaoui

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Young Tunisian swimmer Ahmed Hafnaoui won the gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle swimming category, the first Arab to do so at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. 

Hafnaoui, 18 years old, clocked at 3:43.36 minutes, ahead of Australian Jack McLoughlin by 0.16 seconds and American Kieran Smith by 0.58 seconds.

After his crowning, Hafnaoui said, "It's amazing. I feel better in the water than yesterday, and that's it. I'm an Olympic champion now."

From the first moment, Hafnaoui remained among the leaders in the race and was the first to arrive, winning the gold medal.

This is Tunisia's second medal in this year's Olympics games, after Mohamed Khalil Jendoubi won a silver in the 58-kg category in taekwondo on Saturday.

Hafnaoui will also partake in the 800m race, after winning titles in the 400m and 800m races in French championships.

The former Tunisian swimming champion Osama Mellouli, who won the 1500m freestyle golds in Beijing 2008 and 10 km in London 2012, had previously talked about the possibility of crowning his young compatriot in the 2024 Olympics or the 2028 Olympics, but Hafnaoui had another opinion after this early victory.