UAE win first gold medal of Asian Games in women's 400m hurdles
The UAE picked up their first gold medal of the 2026 Asian Games after Mariam Kareem won the women's 400m hurdles final on Monday. Kareem clocked an Asian Games-record time of 54.31 seconds to finish 0.27 secs ahead of Adelina Zems of Kazakhstan, with India's Vitchya Ramraj coming home third. It is the second athletics medal the UAE has won in Aichi-Nagoya and the second by a teenager. On…
The United Arab Emirates claimed their maiden gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games, with Mariam Kareem securing victory in the women's 400m hurdles final on Monday. The 19-year-old athlete delivered an impressive performance, finishing the race in a record-breaking time of 54.31 seconds - a full 0.27 seconds ahead of Kazakhstan's Adelina Zems. India's Vitchya Ramraj secured the bronze medal.
This marks the UAE's second athletics medal in Aichi-Nagoya, and the second medal won by a teenager representing the nation. Just the day prior, 19-year-old Sulaiman Abdulrahman claimed a silver medal in the men's 400m hurdles, finishing just 0.09 seconds behind Thailand's Joshua Atkinson.
Prior to the competition, Kareem had set a personal best time of 55.14 seconds during qualifying on Sunday, shaving off an impressive 0.83 seconds to achieve her gold-winning time in Monday's final. Despite the challenges faced by the Games organizers due to persistent rain disrupting several events, the UAE's triumphant performance in women's 400m hurdles provided a much-needed boost to the event.
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Also reported by 2 other outlets
- UAE win first gold medal of Asian Games in women's 400m hurdles thenationalnews.com
- Thai trailblazer claims Asian Games sprint double in rainy Nagoya brecorder.com
