Defending 400m freestyle Olympic champion Ahmed Hafnaoui set to miss Paris Olympics 2024

Ahmed Hafnaoui, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medalist in the 400m freestyle event is reported to miss the 2024 Paris Olympics. The head of the Tunisian Olympic Committee, Mehrez Bousyan recently revealed this news during a Tunisian television program.

However, the Tunisian Olympic Committee hasn't slated any official reasons for Hafnaoui's absence from the event. Moreover, there has been no statement from the player about the actual reason for his absence. The event will be a major miss for the 21-year-old, especially considering the stage he is in his career.

The Tunisian swimmer was one of the main contenders for the 400m, 800m, and 1500m freestyle events in Paris especially with the articulate skillset and technique he displayed in the initial years of his career. The Tunisian already has an Olympic gold in his bat at the age of 21. Besides, the Metlaoui native also clinched two World Aquatics Championships gold (800m freestyle, 1500m freestyle) and a silver medal (400m freestyle) at the 20th edition of the event in Fukuoka.

Now, with his supposed absence from the Paris Olympics, various other swimmers such as Sam Short, Lukas Mertens, and Bobby Finke will be hot favorites going into the tournament.

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Ahmed Hafnaoui's rapid rise in recent years

Ahmed Hafnaoui

Born in the Gafsa governorate of Tunisia, Ahmed Hafnaoui has been one of the most promising swimmers of this current generation. Trained by Mark Schubert at Indiana University, Hafnaoui has made the stage his child's play.

It was the 2018 African Championships that gave Hafnaoui the limelight after he clinched three bronze and a silver medal in the tournament. From that moment, the Tunisian native didn't look back. His performances at the Olympics, FINA World Championships, and the World Aquatics Championships saw him rise to the ranks at a rapid pace.

Courtesy of his superb performances at the Fukuoka World Championships, Ahmed Hafnaoui was awarded the African Male Swimmer of the Year for 2023. The Tunisian native not only won two gold and a silver medals but also defeated the likes of Bobby Finke.