Loading ...Arabs win big at the Rio Paralympics
After bringing home 16 medals from the Rio Olympics, Arab athletes brought the summer to an impressive end with 74 Paralympic medals.
From the world’s only armless table tennis player, to the blind Algerian who ran faster than the Olympic gold medalist, Arab Paralympians made us proud this month.
With great conviction, they showed us that the Paralympics – the Olympics’ counterpart for disabled athletes – are a thrill to watch, and the competition is all the more intriguing knowing that the athletes have beaten all odds to reach the international podium.
The Arab world’s 2016 Paralympic athletes collected a total of 23 gold, 29 silver and 22 bronze medals
Each of Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia earned berths at the Rio Paralympic medal table.
The Arab world has some new records on its tally
Tunisian Raoua Tlili added 3.68 meters to her previous discus throw world record for women with short stature. Meanwhile, her compatriot Maroua Brahimi set a world record in the club throw.
Raoua Tlili of Tunisia poses after she sets a new discus throw – F41 world record 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/kmToEcwMFJ
— Olympic Channel (@olympicchannel) September 16, 2016
Tunisia’s Bilel Aloui and Morocco’s Mohamed Amguoun set new world and Paralympic records in the 5,000-meter and 400-meter races for the visually impaired. Meanwhile, Egypt’s power-lifter Sherif Osman broke a world and Paralympic record in the 59-kilogram category.
#WOW Sherif Osman performs for the crowd after his WORLD RECORD (211kg) in the men’s -59kg @ipcpowerlifting https://t.co/sfoWO0dyca
— snap: paralympics (@Paralympics) September 9, 2016
Also, Emirati Mohamed Al-Hammadi broke a Paralympic record in the 800-meter wheelchair race.
Sara Al Senaani: UAE’s first woman to win a Paralympics medal pic.twitter.com/RXxMCt3GLj
— KT Sport (@ktimessport) September 17, 2016