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| Full name | Ahmed Ayoub Hafnaoui | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | Tunisia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (2002-12-04)4 December 2002 (age 23) Métlaoui, Tunisia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 84 kg (185 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Freestyle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | Indiana University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coach | Jobrane Touili (2018–2021)Mark Schubert (Since 2023) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Ahmed Ayoub Hafnaoui (Arabic:أحمد أيوب حفناوي,romanized: Aḥmad Ayyūb Ḥafnāwi; born 4 December 2002) is a Tunisianswimmer. He is theAfrican record holder in thelong course 400-metre and 1500-metre freestyle, and theshort course 800-metre and 1500-metre freestyle events.[2][3] He competed in the2020 Summer Olympics, where he won a gold medal in themen's 400-metre freestyle.[4] He ranked No. 16 in the world and was the slowest qualifier for the final race but won Olympic gold with a time of 3:43.36.[5] Hafnaoui was the only Tunisian to win Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020.[6][7]
He finished 8th in the final of the400 m freestyle at the2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires.[8]
Hafnaoui competed as a 16-year-old at the2018 World Championships (SC) in the400 meters, and the1500 meters, but failed to make the final in either events. In 2021, Fina had him ranked as No. 3 in the men's 400 meter freestyle.[9] At the age of 20, Hafnaoui competed at the2023 World Championships inFukuoka, and took gold in the 800 m freestyle, as well as also winning gold for the 1500 m freestyle with the second-fastest 1500 free time in history of 14:31.54.[10]
Hafnaoui is currently serving a 21-month competition ban due to expire in January 2026 for an anti-doping rule violation after missing three tests in a 12-month period.
Hafnaoui's father, Mohamed Hafnaoui, was aTunisian national team basketball player.
Hafnaoui began swimming at the age of six. He gravitated towards swimming rather than his father's sport of basketball in spite of the fact that there were just three 50-metre pools in all of Tunisia.[11] When he was 12 years of age, Hafnaoui began training with the national swim program.[12]
| 2018 African Championships | ||
|---|---|---|
 | 4x200 m freestyle | 7:31.55 |
 | 800 m freestyle | 8:08.74 |
| 1500 m freestyle | 15:45.46 |
| 4x100 m freestyle | 3:27.92 |
At theAfrican Championships inAlgiers, Algeria, Hafnaoui competed in the 800 meter and 1,500 meter freestyle events, as well as the 4x100 and 4x200 freestyle events.[4] He placed third in the 800 meter freestyle (8:08.74), 1,500 meter freestyle (15:45.46), and 4x100 meter men's freestyle (3:27.92), as well as second in the 4x200 freestyle (7:31.55).[4]
At theYouth Olympics inBuenos Aires, Argentina, Hafnaoui competed in the200 meter,400 meter, and800 meter freestyle events; he placed eighth in the 400 meter freestyle with a time of 3:55.94 and seventh in the 800 meter freestyle with a time of 8:04.43.[4]
At theWorld Championships Short Course inHangzhou, China, Hafnaoui competed in the400 meter and1500 meter freestyle events; he placed 19th in the 400 meter freestyle with a time of 3:45.98 and 17th in the 1500 meter freestyle with a time of 15:02.25.[4]
Hafnaoui competed in the 400 meter, 800 meter, and 1,500 meter freestyle events at theWorld Junior Championships inBudapest, Hungary; he placed fourth in the 800 meter freestyle with a time of 7:49.08 and sixth in the 1,500 meter freestyle with a time of 15:16.04.[4]
| 2020 Summer Olympics | ||
|---|---|---|
 | 400 m freestyle | 3:43.36 |
Hafnaoui competed in the 400 meter freestyle at the2020 Summer Olympics inTokyo, Japan, where he placed first with a time of 3:43.36.[4][13] He is only the third swimmer in history to win an Olympic gold medal out of the 8th lane, the slowest qualifying lane. He also placed joint 10th in the800 meter freestyle, missing qualification for the final.
In October, Hafnauoi announced he would be competing atEtihad Arena in December as part of the2021 World Short Course Swimming Championships inAbu Dhabi,United Arab Emirates.[14] He entered to compete in the 400 metre freestyle and 1500 metre freestyle events.[1] Starting his competition on day one of the championships, 16 December, Hafnaoui swum a 3:40.30 in the prelims heats of the400 metre freestyle to rank tenth overall.[15] On Day five, Hafnaoui ranked second in the1500 metre freestyle prelims heats, qualifying for the final with a time of 14:25.77.[16] He won the silver medal in the final of the 1500 metre freestyle on day six in anAfrican record time of 14:10.94.[2] His time at the 800 metre mark also set a new African record in the 800 metre freestyle at 7:33.69.[3]
| 2023 World Aquatics Championships | ||
|---|---|---|
| 800 m freestyle | 7:37.00 |
| 1500 m freestyle | 14:31.54 |
| 400 m freestyle | 3:40.70 |
On 11 January 2023, Hafnaoui won the gold medal in the 800-metre freestyle at theTYR Pro Swim Series inKnoxville, with a time of 7:53.10, which was over three full seconds faster than second-place finisher AmericanRobert Finke.[17] Two days later, he won the gold medal in the 400-metre freestyle with a time of 3:47.41. On the fourth day, he finished in a personal best time of 15:07.07 in the final of the 1500-metre freestyle, dropping 8.97 seconds from his previous personal best time, to win the silver medal.[18] On 1 March, he lowered his personal best time by 6.83 seconds to a 15:00.24 and won the gold medal in the 1500-metre freestyle at the second stop of the Pro Swim Series, inFort Lauderdale, United States.[19] The following day he won the 400-metre freestyle in a time of 3:46.02.[20] On day four of four, he finished in 7:48.50 in the 800-metre freestyle and won the gold medal.[21]
At the2023 World Aquatics Championships held inFukuoka, Japan, Hafnaoui won gold in the 800-metre and 1500-metre freestyle events, and silver in the 400-metre freestyle. Hafnaoui will attendIndiana University in fall 2023 as a member of their men's swimming team.[22]
In April 2025, Ahmed Hafnaoui was suspended for 21 months due to three missed doping tests within a 12-month period.[23] The ban is backdated to start from 11 April 2024 and ends on 10 January 2026.[24] As a result, he was ineligible for the 2024 Paris Olympics and all results from April 2024 onwards were disqualified.
| Event | Time | Meet | Location | Date | Note(s) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50m freestyle | 25.89 | 2020 Summer Olympics | Tokyo, Japan | 25 July 2021 | [25] | |
| 100m freestyle | 53.82 | 2023 World Aquatics Championships | Fukuoka, Japan | 23 July 2023 | [25] | |
| 200m freestyle | 01:49.50 | 2023 World Aquatics Championships | Fukuoka, Japan | 23 July 2023 | [25] | |
| 400m freestyle | 03:40.70 | 2023 World Aquatics Championships | Fukuoka, Japan | 23 July 2023 | AF | [25] |
| 800m freestyle | 07:37.00 | 2023 World Aquatics Championships | Fukuoka, Japan | 26 July 2023 | [25] | |
| 1500m freestyle | 14:31.54 | 2023 World Aquatics Championships | Fukuoka, Japan | 30 July 2023 | AF, CR | [25] |
| No. | Event | Time | Meet | Location | Date | Status | Notes | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 800 m freestyle | 7:33.69 | † | 2021 World Short Course Championships | Abu Dhabi,United Arab Emirates | 21 December 2021 | Current | AF,NR | [2][3] |
| 2 | 1500 m freestyle | 14:10.94 | 2021 World Short Course Championships | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | 21 December 2021 | Current | AF,NR | [2][3] |
First Class of theNational Order of Merit (Tunisia, 20 August 2021)[31][32]
| 440 yards | |
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| 400 metres |
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Gold medalists |  | |
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Silver medalists | ||
Bronze medalists | ||
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