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| Zig Diaries Photo |
In a performance
for the ages, Ahmed Jaouadi surged ahead mid-race to claim Tunisia’s first
major swimming gold since Hafnaoui, dedicating his victory to the suspended
champion.
Zig Diaries Sports
Date: Wednesday, 31 July 2025
Time: 11:00 WAT
Location: 📍Singapore
Ahmed Jaouadi stormed to gold in the men’s 800m freestyle at the World Swimming Championships, clocking the third-fastest time in history and delivering Tunisia a new global champion.
Tunisian swimmer,
Ahmed Jaouadi,
announced his arrival on the world stage in emphatic style on Wednesday,
winning the 800m freestyle at the World
Aquatics Championships in Singapore.
The 20-year-old took charge halfway
through the final, breaking away from a tight field to finish in 7:36.88 — a
personal best and the third-fastest time
in history. Jaouadi held off a German duo with strong credentials: Sven Schwarz (7:39.96) and 400m freestyle
champion Lukas Maertens (7:40.19), who
took silver and bronze, respectively.
“I didn’t really focus on strategy; I
was just trying to manage the race and see how it unfolded,” Jaouadi told
reporters. “At one point, I noticed the pace wasn’t particularly quick, so I
decided to take the initiative and make my move.”
The emotional win comes after a
fourth-place finish at the Paris 2024
Olympics, a result that left the young Tunisian hungry for redemption.
This time, he delivered — and dedicated the moment to fellow countryman and Olympic champion, Ahmed Hafnaoui, who
is currently serving a 21-month ban for anti-doping rule violations.
“This win is for Hafnaoui — he’s
going through a tough time right now,” Jaouadi said.
Elsewhere in the final, Ireland’s Olympic champion, Daniel Wiffen,
faded to last place (7:58.56), while USA’s
Bobby Finke narrowly missed the podium in fourth (7:46.42).
The field was affected by a wave of
illness sweeping through the championships. Australia’s
Sam Short, second-fastest in qualifying and silver medallist in the 400m,
was forced to withdraw hours before the race due to stomach issues.
The U.S. team reported that the
“overwhelming majority” of its swimmers had experienced acute gastroenteritis, while Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi also competed while ill in the
100m breaststroke final.
🏷️Tags: Ahmed Jaouadi, Tunisia, World Championships,
800m Freestyle, Swimming, Singapore 2025, Ahmed Hafnaoui, Daniel Wiffen, Bobby
Finke, Sam Short
#AhmedJaouadi
#WorldChamps2025 #Swimming #TunisianPride #ZigSports #800mFreestyle
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