Dubai: Athletes representing Arab countries won an unprecedented seven gold medals during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, which concluded on Sunday with a stunning closing ceremony at the Stade de France.
The Arab group in Paris provided many unforgettable moments, not only from those who ended up on the podium; some of the near misses were also inspiring.
We got the chance to see Moroccan surfer Ramzi Boukhiam take part in the heat of his life during the third round of the competition, against Brazilian Joao Kianca, scoring 9.70 points on one of his waves, but he still left the competition in tears.
Jordanian taekwondo player Rama Abu Al-Rub was also left disappointed after coming close to defeating top seed Navia Kos Aydin in the +67kg taekwondo quarter-finals. The 23-year-old's tears were touching and showed how much faith she had in her ability to pull off an upset.
In the pool, Tunisia’s Ahmed Al-Jawadi failed to make the podium in the 800m, finishing fourth amidst a field of strong competitors. The 19-year-old impressed in all three distances he swam and will undoubtedly be one to watch in the future.
Before we officially bid farewell to the Paris Olympics, here are 10 very special moments that distinguished the participation of Arab athletes in the Games that will be held in Paris in 2024.
Record breaking soldier gold
What could be better than becoming the first African to win an Olympic medal in your sport? Returning to the Olympics three years later and winning the gold medal with a record-breaking performance, of course.
After winning silver in the modern pentathlon in Tokyo, Egypt's Ahmed El Gendy topped the podium in Versailles on Saturday, setting a new modern pentathlon world record of 1,555 points.
The 24-year-old ran to hug his mother on the sidelines after claiming Egypt's only gold medal at the Paris Olympics. He became the first man from his country to win multiple Olympic medals since Karam Gaber took a wrestling silver in 2012 to add to the gold he won in 2004.
Tigers make history for Africa
French Algerian Kaylia Nemour also raised the flag for Africa and Arab sports, becoming the first gymnast from the African continent to win an Olympic medal when she took the gold medal in the artistic gymnastics parallel bars competition.
The 17-year-old, who was born in France, was almost flawless as she delivered her stunning dance routine, earning her a massive score of 15.70 in the final.
Nemour also performed well in the all-around competition, reaching the final and finishing fifth overall, just 3.232 points behind gold medalist Simone Biles.
Khalifa rises above the noise
Algerian Iman Khalif won the other gold medal in Paris, winning the 66kg weight class to become the first Arab or African female boxer to reach the Olympic podium.
The 25-year-old endured an unimaginable amount of injustice, scrutiny and online harassment while in Paris. She was sexist and disrespected by many but somehow she rose above it all as she emerged victorious and took home the gold medal. She showed grace in every interview she gave and said her success restored her honor and was the perfect response to those who attacked her.
Palestinian athletes raise the flag
Eight Palestinian athletes competed at Paris 2024, all united in one mission: to raise their country’s flag, highlight the horrors taking place in Gaza, and provide a voice and platform for their people back home.
“It’s not possible to ignore what’s happening,” Valeria Tarazi, who competed in the 200-meter individual medley, told ABC News. “We are affected by this every day of our lives, and it’s our absolute responsibility to speak out. We’re not here to be politicians, we’re here to tell our stories.”
“Sport has given me more than I could have asked for. But my job as an Olympian here is not to play my sport, then finish it and achieve all my goals, but to give, to educate people.”
The Palestinian delegation received a standing ovation when they entered the Stade de France during the closing ceremony on Sunday, and the delegation paraded around the stadium wearing the traditional keffiyeh and waving their country's flag again.
Hafez stuns the world with his pregnancy announcement
Egyptian Nada Hafez reached the last 16 in the women's fencing competition after defeating seventh-ranked American Elizabeth Tartakovsky, before exiting the competition after losing to South Korea's Jeon Hyung.
Her impressive performance didn't seem particularly out of the ordinary – but shortly after the defeat, Hafez surprisingly announced on her Instagram page that she was competing while seven months pregnant.
The 26-year-old instantly became one of the most talked-about female athletes at the Games, proving how limitless humans can be and reminding everyone not to underestimate the power of women.
Morocco and Egypt qualify for football semi-finals
Not one, but two Arab teams qualified for the semi-finals of the football tournament, with Morocco eventually taking the bronze medal and Egypt finishing fourth.
The Atlas Lions began their Olympic journey with a big win over Argentina and ended their campaign by scoring six goals in the third-place match against their North African rivals.
Moroccan player Soufiane Rahimi was the tournament's top scorer with eight goals, and the first player in the history of the Olympic Games to score in six consecutive matches.
Egypt's journey at the Games ended in a crushing defeat but the Pharaohs impressed on the way to the bronze medal match, defeating eventual champions Spain in the group stage and giving France a chance to win in the semi-finals.
Barshim enhances his high jump legacy
Qatar's Mutaz Barshim closed the final chapter of his Olympic career when he became the first athlete to win four high jump medals at the Games.
He won silver at London 2012 and Rio 2016, gold at Tokyo 2020, and made it four straight podiums with a bronze at the Stade de France on Saturday.
The 33-year-old has added so much character to the sport of high jump over the past 12 years, and of all his contemporaries he came closest to breaking Javier Sotomayor's world record. He will be greatly missed.
Katosi leads trio of taekwondo medalists
The Arab world continues to make great strides in the sport of Taekwondo, and Tunisian Firas Katousi has become the latest addition to the region’s growing list of champions.
The 28-year-old was unrivalled in all his competitions as he won the gold medal in the -80kg category and then danced in joy in celebration in the heart of the Grand Palace.
Jordanian Zaid Karim won the silver medal in the under 68 kg weight class, while Tunisian Mohamed Khalil Al-Jandoubi added to the silver medal he won in Tokyo 2020 by winning the bronze medal in Paris in the under 58 kg weight class.
Samir wins second Olympic medal in his career
Sarah Samir was very sad not to get the gold medal, but she still has a lot to be proud of, as she won a second Olympic medal in addition to the bronze she won in Rio in 2016.
In the 81kg weightlifting competition, the Egyptian lifter briefly held the Olympic record in the clean and jerk, which was later broken by Norwegian champion Solfrid Kwanda, before taking the silver medal with a lift of 268kg.
Samir is one of only three Egyptian women to have won more than one Olympic medal.
Al Bakkali defends his title
He looked to be in trouble late in the race, but Moroccan runner Soufiane El Bakkali managed to gain enough space to take the lead and successfully defend his gold medal in the 3000m steeplechase with a season's best time of 8min 6.05sec.
In the women's hurdles, Bahrain's Winfred Yaffe broke the new Olympic record to win the gold medal with a time of 8:52.76, the fourth fastest time ever in this race.