“A historic achievement for Tunisian sport”, but where does Ahmed Hafnaoui, the new swimming comet, come from?

0



From our special correspondent in Tokyo,

First day of the final, and first explosion in the blue water of the Aquatic Center. Unfortunately, the tsunami did not come from Léon Marchand, honest 6th in his 400×4 medley final, which we hope to see much higher in three years. No, the sensation of the day is called Ahmed Hafnaoui, 18, the only swimmer in the Tunisian delegation with the Mellouli myth, expected next week in open water. Olympic champion in the 400m freestyle with a slap of six seconds at his best time ever so far, and references to say the least: a fourth place at the World Juniors in 2019 and a podium at the African Youth Games.

Mellouli’s heir

His American runner-up Jack Mc Loughlin, as surprised as us, had eyes like marbles in the post-race confession: “Ahmed arrives and achieves a huge personal best, we know that often happens at the Olympics, well done to him”. How to find out more about the comet? Panic in a mixed zone, access to which is better protected than the residence of the Japanese emperor, where we have to work together to save the honor of the French-speaking press. No Tunisian colleague in sight, we have the rascal all to ourselves: the kid is built like a Norman wardrobe, but his voice is barely audible.

“Yes I was surprised, of course I’m proud and happy to win this medal. We dig a little into his life before, while his mother harasses the translator of the delegation to congratulate his big dadais. The dad is a former great basketball player in the country, we learn in passing: “I have been swimming since I was five years old. I saw Mellouli’s medal on TV in 2008 in Beijing. He’s a legend for me, he wished me good luck before my race ”. A little short to write his hot biography, and above all a very different tone of an interview unearthed from the columns of the Tunisian newspaper The Press, in 2019. Selected pieces:

– “Thanks to the preparation program concocted by my technical staff, I would be among the best in the world in the 800m race. A place in the final is even considered. I am even capable of getting on the top step of the podium ”.

– ” Sure. Osama is my idol. Its world performances still resound. Frankly, I am capable of doing better than him ”.

The boy would therefore be much more sure of himself than he was willing to admit once the medal was around his neck. We rush on anything that looks like an accredited person in the red tunic to be clear: head of mission, doctor, translator, everything goes. “A shy, modest, very respectful boy,” explains an interlocutor who does not want to get too wet; we have just told him over the ear that only the president of the Tunisian Olympic committee allows himself the right to speak to the press. A gold medal on the feast of the Tunisian Republic, as much to say to you that it is the moment to take the light.

“Ahmed is a pure Tunisian-Tunisian product”

Mehrez Boussayene, the famous president, does not deprive himself, with from the start a patriotic speech to appear in the next Bedos OSS. “This is a historic achievement for Tunisian, Arab and Mediterranean sport. Our champions, they have the grinta, the fervor, and even the madness to win. This is what drives our young people when they are under the national flag, they are soldiers ”. Having said that, Boussayene is not wrong. In a country that has two meager Olympic pools, pulling out a champion of this caliber is enough to gargle a little.

Especially since the NOC has done its part, granting Hafnaoui a scholarship since he was 15 years old. How many ? “Three times nothing compared to what you give at home”. 700 euros per month anyway, in addition to a state aid which has fixed a target contract. A small fortune in Tunisia, all the same.

“We had flair. Ahmed is a pure Tunisian-Tunisian product that we supported in a different way from other athletes because we felt that it was a diamond in the rough. It took good technicians [Le DTN Sami Achour, l’entraîneur Jabrane Touiri] to make it an exceptional diamond. Today he is Olympic champion and it is not a surprise because he is a young person who has always had the behavior of a great champion, with a lot of modesty ”.

The fifth gold medalist in the history of Tunisia, if he seems to accept the role of unifier of the nation without muffling, is already thinking about the next move. To the American press, curious to know him a little better, he explained that he saw himself studying in the United States next year, he who has not yet graduated. A call of the foot size 55 which should delight the many universities, always ready to recruit the greatest talents in the world. Until then, he still has time to make Tunisians proud over 800m, his other favorite distance.





Source link