The Olympics are built on incredible moments of athletic ability mixed with genuine human emotion. On Saturday during the men’s 400 meter freestyle event, we got quite the surprise out of Tunisia in one of the best moments of these early Tokyo Olympics.
Out of the lane eight position, 18-year-old Ahmed Hafnaoui stunned the field after placing first in the event with an unbelievable finish. Hafnaoui had a strong final turn in the last 50 meters, besting the Australian Jack McLoughlin and American Kieran Smith for the gold.
It’s a finish you have to watch, not only for the nail-biting ending but also Hafnaoui’s emotional reaction to placing first.
WHAT A FINISH.
From lane 8, Tunisia's Ahmed Hafnaoui wins Olympic gold and @TeamUSA's Kieran Smith gets the bronze. #TokyoOlympics
📺 NBC
💻 https://t.co/5UYl3veBXr
📱 NBC Sports App pic.twitter.com/7it1V0dFKm— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 25, 2021
Now that is what the Olympics are all about right there. Hafnaoui’s gold medal is Tunisia’s third medal overall in swimming, marking an incredible moment for the 18-year-old and his home country.
"I'm Olympic champion now… I just can't believe."
Tunisia's Ahmed Hafnaoui shocks the men's 400m IM field coming from lane 8 to win Olympic gold. #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/LklNnYtAtA
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 25, 2021
Hafnaoui’s spectacular underdog performance was a highlight on Twitter, as sports fans celebrated the incredible achievement.
