Tunisia’s Ahmed Jaouadi secured his first major title in swimming with a stunning victory in the 800m freestyle at the World Championships in Singapore on Wednesday. Jaouadi’s well-timed attack midway through the race saw him surge ahead, finishing with a time of 7:36.88, surpassing Germany’s Sven Schwarz (7:39.96) and 400m champion Lukas Maertens (7:40.19).
Jaouadi, who had finished fourth at the Paris Olympics last year, clocked the third-fastest time in history. Reflecting on his strategy, the 20-year-old said, “I didn’t really think about strategy, I was just trying to control the race and see what happens. 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 with a time of 7:58.56, while Bobby Finke, the Olympic 1,500m champion, placed fourth in 7:46.42.
Jaouadi dedicated his victory to fellow Tunisian swimmer Ahmed Hafnaoui, who has faced challenges following a 21-month suspension in April due to three anti-doping violations. “This one is for Hafnaoui – he’s having some hard times now,” Jaouadi remarked.
In a disappointing turn of events, Australia’s Sam Short, who had qualified second-fastest for the final, was forced to withdraw just hours before the race due to stomach issues. Short, the silver medalist in the 400m freestyle, is the latest swimmer to fall ill during the competition, joining several other athletes, including members of the U.S. team who have been battling acute gastroenteritis. Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi also reported feeling unwell ahead of his 100m breaststroke final.
