Ahmed Jaouadi extends Tunisia’s distance swimming legacy

Nineteen-year-old Ahmed Jaouadi captured gold in the 1500m freestyle at the World Championships in Budapest, defeating veteran Florian Wellbrock. According to the sports news platform Swim Swam, his victory could mark a new chapter in Tunisia’s tradition of distance swimming excellence.

Jaouadi follows in the footsteps of Oussama Mellouli, Tunisia’s first world champion and Olympic gold medalist in the 1500m (2008), and Ahmed Hafnaoui, the Tokyo 2020 400m freestyle champion who later dominated the 800m and 1500m at the 2023 World Championships.

Jaouadi solidified his place on the global stage with his medal and an eight-second personal best. He is also a strong contender in the 800m and 400m events, seeded second and fifth, respectively.

Trained in France under renowned coach Philippe Lucas, Jaouadi represents the next wave of Tunisian swimming. His triumph adds to the nation’s rich legacy and positions him as a rising star in the sport.