Tunisia’s Olympic swimming champion Hafnaoui to miss Paris Games

Olympic 400 meters freestyle champion Ahmed Hafnaoui will miss the Paris Games, Africa Aquatics said in a statement cited by Reuters. The sport’s governing body for Africa said the 21-year-old Tunisian had decided not to resume training in the United States. However Tunisian Olympic Committee president Mehrez Boussayene told Reuters Hafnaoui’s participation in the games had been fully decided, explaining he had sustained an injury requiring 45 days of rest. Boussayene added that Hafnaoui has many international obligations ahead of him and emphasized the need to support athletes and “treat them humanely”.

Hafnaoui trained last year in California under coach former US team coach Mark Schubert but returned to Tunisia after visa issues. Known for his surprise victory as an 18 year old in the 400m freestyle at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Hafnaoui's recent performances include winning titles at the World Championships in 2023 and placing second in the 400m event. However, he failed to advance to the finals in the World Championships this year.