Oman's rising star Ali Anwar al Balushi successfully secured a spot in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games. The Oman Athletics Association (OAA) made the exciting announcement on Tuesday across various social media platforms. Al Balushi's impressive ranking of 49th in the world for the 100m event earned him a direct qualification to the prestigious Olympics. This achievement signifies a major milestone for the young athlete as he prepares to make his debut at the highly anticipated event in July. Meanwhile, Mazoon al Alawi is set to make her third appearance at the Paris Olympic Games, following her participation in London 2012 and Tokyo 2020.
Al Balushi's recent success came at the Anhalt Athletic Championship in Germany last May, where the 22-year-old sprinter clinched the bronze medal in the men's 100m event with a time of 10.25 seconds. Sri Lanka's Yupun Abeykoon claimed the top spot with a time of 10.16 seconds, while Poland's Dominik Kopeć finished second in 10.21 seconds.
Under the guidance of national coach Fahd al Mashaikhi, Al Balushi has been training diligently to deliver a stellar performance at his first Olympic appearance. His qualification is a testament to his unwavering commitment and hard work in the realm of track and field events.
Al Balushi is determined to achieve success on the world's largest sporting platform in Paris, following his career-best 10.17s timing in the 100m. He has previously set national youth records in both the 100m and 200m, and secured a bronze medal in the 4x100m relay at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Turkey in 2022. Additionally, he won a gold medal in the 200m at the West Asian Junior Athletics Championships in Beirut in 2019.
