14 athletes to represent the UAE at Paris 2024
The National Olympic Committee of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced the details of the UAE’s participation in the 33rd Summer Olympic Games to be held in Paris, France, from 26 July to 11 August 2024.
The UAE delegation consists of 14 athletes competing in five sports (equestrian, judo, cycling, swimming and athletics), accompanied by 24 technical, administrative and medical staff. The event will see 10,500 athletes from 200 National Olympic Committees compete in 32 sports in 329 events at 35 venues in the presence of 20,000 media representatives, and 45,000 volunteers, with a total of 754 events and 350,000 hours of television coverage.
The show-jumping equestrian team includes Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi, Abdullah Al Marri, Omar Al Marzouqi, Salem Al Suwaidi, and Ali Al Karbi, four of whom will be selected in the coming days for final participation. The national judo team consists of five male (Narmand Bayan in -66 kg, Talal Shvili in -81 kg, Aram Gregorian in -90 kg), Dhafer Aram in -100 kg and Omar Marouf in +100 kg) and one female athlete (Bashirat Kharoudi in -52 kg).
Cyclist Safia Al Sayegh will compete in the road race, becoming the first Emirati female cyclist to qualify for the Olympics. Swimmer Yousef Rashid Al Matroushi will compete in the 100m freestyle and swimmer Maha Abdullah Al Shehi will compete in the 200m freestyle. Runner Maryam Mohammed Al Farsi will compete in the 100m race at the Stade de France.
Omar Al Marzouqi will carry the UAE flag at the Opening Ceremony on 26 July, which will be attended by 10,500 athletes and will be held for the first time outside the stadium on the Seine with around 160 boats. It was announced at a press conference by the NOC at the Shindagha Museum in Dubai, attended by representatives of the sports federations participating at Paris 2024 and a large presence of local and foreign media representatives.
Faris Mohammed Al Mutawaa, Secretary General of the NOC, thanked His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai and President of the National Olympic Committee, for his support and guidance to the UAE team participating in the Paris Olympic Games and for his keen direction to provide all facilities to help the athletes perform their role in the best possible way.
Al Mutawaa continued, “I would like to congratulate the sports federations participating in the Paris Games who have worked diligently over the past four years to reach this historic moment awaited by athletes from all over the world to compete against each other and confirm their merit and eligibility to be present at this prominent event. Congratulations to all.”
“I reiterate my confidence in the participating athletes, on whom we are relying heavily to repeat the successes of 2004 and 2016, and to further consolidate the country’s position and presence in the Olympic forums, especially as this edition will for the first time include many motivating factors, such as the equal participation of men and women, the Opening Ceremony outside an stadium and other aspects that give the Paris Games a special historical character.”
The Secretary General of the NOC said, “I am honoured to announce the opening of the UAE House in Paris, with authentic national heritage and historical and cultural legacies of which we are proud to be a part. It will provide a unique experience for all visitors to discover the inspiring journey of the Union, and experience Emirati hospitality.”
“The UAE House will be open daily from 10am to 8pm, free of charge, from 27 July to 11 August, offering a wide range of activities and events, with a special programme for visits by UAE Olympians. I am also pleased to invite the country’s sports councils to support the UAE delegation to Paris 2024, attend the competitions and visit the UAE House,” he added.
The NOC presented the UAE Olympic House for the Paris 2024 Games, located on Rue Cambon in Paris. Inspired by the concept of “home,” it embodies the essence of a traditional Emirati home. Visitors will follow a path that integrates the experiences of home and sport, connecting them to the UAE.
The swimming and judo events will begin on 28 July with Maha Abdullah Al Shehi competing in the 200m freestyle race at the Paris La Défense Arena, and Bashirat Kharoudi competing in the women’s under 52 kg judo event at the Champ de Mars Arena.
On 30 July, swimmer Yousef Al Matroushi will compete in the 100m freestyl, and athlete Talal Shvili competing in the 81 kg judo event. The following day, Aram Gregorian will compete in judo un -90 kg. On 1 August, the national equestrian team will begin its participation in the two-day team showjumping competition at the Palace of Versailles, alongside athlete Dhafer Aram, who will compete in the under-100kg judo event on the same day.
The day after, Omar Marouf will take part in the +100 kg judo competition and Maryam Al Farsi will run the 100m race at the Stade de France. Cyclist Safia Al Sayegh will compete in the road race on the Alexander III Bridge on 4 August. The national equestrian team will conclude its participation with the individual show jumping competition on 5 and 6 August.
Hamed Al Russi, the national volleyball referee, expressed his pride and honour to be the only Arab-Asian referee at the event. He wished the UAE delegation success and hoped to represent the nation in the best possible way. This will be the 11th time the UAE has taken part in the Olympic Games, starting with Los Angeles in 1984. Since then, the UAE has participated continuously in the event until the latest edition in Tokyo in 2021.
The 2004 edition in Athens is one of the most significant Olympic moments in the UAE’s history, when Sheikh Ahmed bin Hasher Al Maktoum won the gold medal in the double trap shooting event with a score of 189 points, the country’s first medal. The UAE flag was raised again at Rio 2016 when judoka Sergio Toma won bronze in the under 81kg category.