Cees

Hurdles are no hindrance in Goteborg
Aspire Athletes score seven medals!

Hurdles are no hindrance in Goteborg for Aspire athletes on their way to victory. In Scandinavia at the Världsungdomsspelen in Goteborg (Sweden) the Aspire Athletics Team got 7 medals.
The medal haul was not expected by Aspire head coach Ralf Iwan. “The boys could rise too the occasion and were certainly inspired by the stadium, the crowd and the strong participants” he said after the three long days. The only golden medal was for Eid Abdullah Alkwari. He won the 60 metres hurdles in 9.50 seconds. Four more medals were won in the hurdle races.

The Världsungdomsspelen is the biggest junior athletics meet in Europe. More than 2000 athletes in the age under twenty competed in the Ullevi arena. In the same stadium will, in a few weeks time, the European championships take place. On the first of three days filled with a lot competitions and heats the first medal was for Hassan Aman Harib. The long legged athlete ran the ten 76 centimeter high hurdles as if he ran in high grass. He easily managed an unexpected medal in the under fifteen year category. With a 40.32.second run he won the silver.
One age group up (u 17y( Essa Mohamed Musa Haji Ahmed came third in his heat but he was ranked fifth on time overall. Essa ran a personal best with a 14.86 first time under fifteen seconds
Saif Sabah Khairalla Khalifa (15y category) ran in is race over hundred meter hurdles a personal best (14.79 seconds) in the heats to qualify for the finals. Ninety minutes later he could not better this time but with a strong finis he took second place in 14.92.
In the cadets category it looked an to be an easy win for Sultan Atiq. Atiq ran in the heats a personal best with 9.43 seconds. But in the final a strong run by Eid Abdullah Alkwari shattered Atiq gold medal hopes. Eid Abdullah Alkwari piped him with just one hundredth of a second 9.50-9.51 seconds to take first place.
In the relay the team with Eid Abdullah Alkwari as lead of handed the baton to Mohamed Ahmed Almannai, after him Saif Sabah Khairalla Khalifa ran a very strong curve while Moath Hussein Almasri on the home straight grabbed the second place.
Athletics head coach Ralf Iwan said:
“We did now two very big competitions. The team overall has improved big time.
I think we can be proud to represent Qatar in this international meets. Aspire athletics has made a big leap forward compared to last year. The medal count is still on. May be in the last competition we can add some more.”
Next weekend the Aspire Athletics team will compete in Sweden for one more competition before heading back to Qatar.