How Absence of Ahmed Hafnaoui Changes Freestyle Prospects For Paris

Ahmed Hafnaoui of Tunisia celebrates after winning the gold medal in the 800m Freestyle Men Final during the 20th World Aquatics Championships at the Marine Messe Hall A in Fukuoka (Japan), July 26th, 2023.

Ahmed Hafnaoui -- Photo Courtesy: Andrea Masini / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

How Absence of Ahmed Hafnaoui Changes Freestyle Prospects For Paris

The pre-Olympic year World Championships typically represent something of a dress rehearsal, with all of the world’s best swimmers aiming for top form to see where they stack up before the final push to the Olympics. That’s not to say all the winners and medalists are the same one year later, but normally you get a pretty good idea of the contenders for the upcoming Games, minus a few young swimmers who will inevitably burst onto the scene in the ensuing 12 months.

This time, not so much in the men’s 400, 800 and 1500 freestyle, not with Tuesday’s news that Tunisia’s Ahmed Hafnaoui will not compete in Paris, three years after winning a stunning gold medal in the 400 free and one year following a landmark World Championships performance. In Fukuoka, Hafnaoui finished just behind Sam Short in a barnburner 400 free final, only to turn the tables a few days later in the 800 and secure gold. He finished by out-swimming Bobby Finke by just five hundredths in the mile as the two men swam the second and third-fastest times ever, respectively.

But with Hafnaoui out, there will be a big shift in our expectations of the longer freestyle events for the upcoming Olympics… or maybe not. Before this news, we of course remembered Hafnaoui’s accomplishments from last July, but it was hard not to notice the developing pattern this season: entering and then withdrawing from competitions. A brief appearance on the college swim team at Indiana, only to depart shortly thereafter and lack stability in training at a crucial period.

And when he did compete at this February’s World Championships in Doha, Hafnaoui struggled badly. He finished 17th in the 400 and 1500-meter races and 18th in the 800. Plenty of competitors were absent from that meet, but Hafnaoui was still nowhere near contention and nowhere near his best times.

Fortunately for fans of fast swimming, there will still be plenty of heavyweights racing in all three of those events this summer; it’s just a bummer that Hafnaoui will not be a part of these surely scintillating matchups, with long-standing world records definitely in danger in the 400 and 1500.

Lukas Martens of Germany competes in the Men's Freestyle 1500m Heats during the 20th World Aquatics Championships at the Marine Messe Hall A in Fukuoka (Japan), July 25th, 2023.

Lukas Martens — Photo Courtesy: Andrea Masini / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

We are just weeks removed from Lukas Martens clocking 3:40.33 in the 400 free to become the fourth-fastest man in history and the fastest in more than a decade. Short also has been 3:40 in his career, and his Australian countryman and 2022 world champion Elijah Winnington has returned to strong form while Korea’s Kim Woo-min was impressive in clinching the gold in Doha. Could any of these men get down to the world record of 3:40.07, a mark which has belonged to Paul Biedermann since the height of the polyurethane-suit era?

Short, Finke and Ireland’s Dan Wiffen all went sub-7:40 in the 800 free last year, finishing behind Hafnaoui in the Worlds final but eclipsing the gold-medal time from one year earlier. Finke is the slight favorite to repeat as 1500 Olympic champion, but Wiffen was extremely impressive in clocking 14:34.07 for gold in Doha, making him the fifth-fastest man in history.

The world record of 14:31.04 that Sun Yang established 12 years ago could definitely go this year, with veterans Florian Wellbrock, Gregorio Paltrinieri and Mykhailo Romanchuk all aiming for another medal in what is sure to be a swift contest.

With Hafnaoui absent, the men remaining will continue pushing for Olympic glory and likely a slice of record-setting history. Then, one year afterward, a 22-year-old Hafnaoui will face the challenge of reestablishing himself as a contender. He has shocked the world and could do it again, but a summer of elite distance swimming will go off without him.

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Kanga1

10 days ago

Sadly for him he’ll probably be quickly forgotten in what seems to be a potentially barnstorming olympic year with the mid and distance events well stocked with super fast swimmers.

Scott Reeves

10 days ago

What about David Johnston? Does he have a shot at making the team?