Sunday 08 / September / 2024
Paris: Oman’s shooter Said Al Khatri ended in the 26th position with 70 points score in the opening day of the preliminary qualifications for the Men's Trap Shooting event at Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Al Khatri delivered an impressive performance at the main range of the Châteauroux Shooting Center on Monday as he managed to earn 23 out of 25 points in the first round and then 25 out of 25 in the following round. The concluding round of first day finished with 22 out of 25 with a total of 70 points.
Oman national shooting member will eye to achieve positive scores in the second day of the preliminary qualifiers to advance to the next stage. Swedish shooter Levin Andreas led the order with 74 points while Australian shooter James Willett finished second with 74 points and Croatian shooter Giovanni Cernogoraz ended in third place with same points.
The second day of the qualifying rounds will begin on Tuesday at 12:00 pm (Oman time). Shooters will target 50 points divided into two rounds of 25 targets each. The top six shooters with the highest scores will advance to the finals where the gold, silver, and bronze medallists will be determined.
Swimmer Issa in good shape
The youngster swimmer Issa al Adawi will eye to show strong start in his second straight Olympics presence on Tuesday. The oman national team swimmer will compete in 100-meter freestyle event Paris La defense Arena.
The 22 years old will compete in the second heats of the preliminary rounds alongside many top swimmers including Libyan swimmer Youssef Abubakr, Estonian Nixon Herndez, and Tanzanian Kolios Salibuko. There are ten heats in total with 16 swimmers with the best timing will progress to the semifinals which will take place on the same day during evening session while the finals will take place on Thursday.
Al Adawi will hope to register better presence in this Olympics in comparison to his previous Olympic appearance at Tokyo 2020 where he finished the 100-meter freestyle in sixth place with a time of 51.81 seconds in the preliminary rounds of Group 3.
Speaking ahead of his competitions on Tuesday, swimmer Issa said that he is looking to make his second Olympic participation with better show than his previous Olympics debut at Tokyo 2020.
“ This Olympic participation follows three years of significant developments in my technical and preparatory program. The training program was very intensive and went over long and regular periods to reach optimal readiness. I will be looking for quick sprint in the first 25 meters and will follow the coach directions who divided the 100-meter freestyle into four parts focusing on specific technical aspects in each 25 meters each,” he said.
Coach Amer Bin Rokia affirmed that swimmer Issa al Adawi will eye to achieve advance and positive timing in this second Olympic participation. “ he is now in better physical and technical shape in comparison to this previous Olympics participation.
This inidicates that he has improved significantly since the last Olympics making him well-prepared for a remarkable Olympic presence. He took part in the World Aquatics Championships in a 25-metre pool last February in Doha and has dedicated himself to training after the academic year. He is resuming to daily warm up sessions. This preparation aims to enable him to achieve new personal and record breaking times,” Tunisian coach added
Athletics team gears up
Oman’s athletics team are underway in their serious daily warm up sessions under watchful eyes of coach Fahad al Mashaykhi. Women’s runner Mazoon al Alawi will compete in the preliminary rounds of the 100-metre event on Friday while sprinter Ali al Balushi will participate in the same category on Saturday. Both athletes aim to showcase their high technical abilities to achieve a positive and honorable participation for Oman in this Olympic event striving to set new personal and record timing.
The technical meeting for athletics competitions will take place on Tuesday. National coach Fahad al Mashaykhi will attend the meeting representing runners Ali al Balushi and Mazoon al Alawi who will participate in the 100-meter race event. The groups for the Omani athletes and the competition schedules will be determined during the meeting.
Oman made remarkable presence in Paris 2024 Olympics: Oman’s Ambassador in France
Ahmed Mohammed Al Araimi, Oman's Ambassador to France, expressed his great pleasure over Oman's remarkable presence in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. “ The Summer Olympic Games is one of the most prominent international sports event which is characterized by the extensive participation of professional athletes from various countries across the World. These athletes are very keen to be part of this global event which is taking place every four years,” he said
“ This year's edition of the Olympics in Paris is featuring a record participation of more than 10,500 athletes representing different parts of the world competing in 47 Olympic sports for 329 Olympic medals. Omani athletes' presence is an unique opportunity to compete with top ranking athletes, helping them to gain essential technical skills and experience to advance their performance to higher levels of sports competition.”
“ The French government made significant efforts and proper planning in organizing this edition of the Olympic Games. The opening ceremony which took place at the Seine River and featured athletes entering by boats, deviated from the traditional style and was exceptional. The Omani delegation stood out during the ceremony by wearing Oman’s official dress reflecting the authentic identity on this grand global stage,” he said.
The ambassador wished all the best to the four Omani athletes participating in the Paris 2024 Olympics. “ This Olympic presence underscores Oman's participation in international sports events especially at the Olympic Games. This global participation aligns with Oman Vision 2040, promoting sustainable development in line with the vision's goals and ambitions to create an encouraging environment and systems for Omani sports,” he added.
“ The Omani-French relations are historically deep-rooted and have recently been strengthened through numerous agreements and cooperation in various economic, knowledge and cultural fields. Sports may will become one of the upcoming areas of collaboration considering that France's advancements and excellence in the sports filed. This would enhance the exchange of expertise and benefit from joint programs in both countries,” he said.
Mohammed Al Araimi wished once again the Omani athletes the best of luck in this top sporting profile event. “ I hope all the best for the athletes to achieve the desired results and represent their country honorably in this global Olympic event in Paris. I am looking that the number of participating athletes will double in future Olympic Games. I appreciated the significant efforts made by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth, led by H.H. Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said, and the Oman Olympic Committee, chaired by Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed Al Zubair, for their keen interest in this important international participation. The Oman’s Embassy in Paris will continue to provide various roles and services to all members of the Oman’s official, sports, and administrative delegation to facilitate and support our nation participation in Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games,”
