Tunisian swimmer Ahmed Jaouadi achieved a major feat by winning the gold medal in the 1650 yards freestyle at the NCAA Division I Swimming Championships finals, setting a new competition record with a time of 14:10.03.
From the very first day of the finals, Jaouadi dominated the endurance event, erasing the previous record held by American Bobby Finke. This performance confirms the excellent momentum of the Tunisian swimmer on the international university stage.
In the same race, his compatriot Ahmed Ayoub Hafnaoui, world and Olympic champion, also delivered a top-level performance. He improved his personal best, completing the distance in 14:22.64 and finishing fourth in the final heat.
Hafnaoui narrowly missed out on the podium, missing the bronze medal by fractions of a second,when he could have hoped to join Jaouadi on the podium.
This overall performance illustrates the rise of Tunisian swimming at the highest level, with two representatives capable of competing with the world elite in one of the most competitive university competitions in the world.
source : La presse
