Maryam Al Farsi, the UAE national team sprinter competing in the 100-metre race at the Paris 2024 Olympics, completed her training session on Thursday ahead of the preliminary round scheduled for tomorrow. The event includes 36 sprinters divided into four rounds, each featuring nine athletes. The top three finishers from each round plus the next five quickest times will progress to the first round.
The world record for the 100-metre race is held by American Florence Griffith Joyner, who clocked 10.49 seconds in 1988 at the World Championships in Indianapolis, USA. Meanwhile, Jamaican Elaine Thompson-Herah holds the Olympic record with a time of 10.61 seconds set at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Brigadier General Dr. Mohammed Al Mur, President of the UAE Athletics Federation, emphasized that the comprehensive talent discovery and champion development plan initiated by the federation aims to boost UAE's presence in international and Olympic athletics competitions, highlighting its role in establishing a robust development framework for the sport and achieving competitive excellence in global championships.
On Al Farsi's participation in the Paris 2024 Olympics, Al Mur stated, "Maryam Al Farsi will compete in the 100-metre sprint at the Paris Olympics following her training camp in Egypt, where the emphasis was on improving her technical preparedness for the Olympic event. We are committed to fully preparing her and ensuring all necessary support to boost her confidence. We strongly believe that her involvement will significantly inspire and motivate UAE track and field athletes to aim for the Olympic Games in future years."
Abdulrahman Suleiman, the technical director of the UAE Athletics Federation, affirmed Maryam Al Farsi's readiness for the race, highlighting her state record in both junior and youth categories for the 100-metre race with a timing of 13.04 seconds.
