The UAE’s equestrian rider Omar Al Marzouqi qualified for the final round in the individual show jumping at the Paris Olympics on Monday, the UAE National Olympic Committee announced on X.
Al Marzouqi, a silver medallist at the Asian Games in China last year, made just one error as his finished his round in 79.56 seconds to qualify for the final round.
The individual competition saw the participation of 75 riders, with the top 30 advancing to the final stage based on the number of faults and recorded times.
Earlier on August 1, the UAE finished 18th in the show jumping team competition at the Paris Games.
The UAE show jumping team included Abdullah Al Marri, Omar Al Marzouqi, Ali Al Karbi and Salem Al Suwaidi.
Sultan Mohammed Al Yahyai, Board Member of the Emirates Equestrian and Racing Federation, Head of the Show Jumping Committee, and President of the Seventh Regional Group in the International Equestrian Federation, emphasised the importance of the UAE riders’ participation in the Paris Olympics.
“This historic participation represents a milestone in the UAE’s equestrian and show jumping journey, and this unprecedented presence of a UAE team in this Olympic event marks a paradigm shift for the team after the remarkable successes achieved at all levels,” Al Yahyai said.
“The presence of world champions in the show jumping competitions is a strong motivator for the UAE riders, encouraging them to showcase their high capabilities that have led them to this significant stage.
“Additionally, the extensive preparations that the team underwent in Europe and their participation in various international championships are crucial for enhancing the riders’ readiness to participate in the competitions and raising the profile of UAE equestrianism.”
Al Marzouqi and cyclist Safiya Al Sayegh had the honour of carrying the UAE’s flag during the Paris opening ceremony on July 26.
Al Sayegh, the first female Emirati cyclist to qualify for the Olympics, participated in the road race on Sunday.
The UAE has sent a 14-member team of athletes for the Paris Games.
Judoka Aram Grigorian delivered a memorable performance in Paris as he came close featuring in the bronze-medal playoff before losing to Tsilidis Theodoros of Greece on July 31.
Grigorian was in contention for a medal despite losing his quarterfinal bout to Murao Sanshiro of Japan in the under-90 kg category.
Having missed out on a place in the semifinal, Grigorian faced Theodoros in the repechage round but the Greek fighter was too strong for him.
Earlier, Grigorian won his first two matches against Swedish opponent Neiman Marcus and Uzbekistan’s champion Bobonov Davlat Balaybun.
Perhaps, the highlight of Grigorian’s performance in Paris was his victory over Neiman Marcus, who won the bronze medal at the 2023 World Judo Championships in Doha.
In swimming, Yousef Al Matrooshi (men’s 100-metre freestyle) and Maha Al Shehhi (women’s 200m freestyle) set their best personal record at the Paris Games.