Ahmed Hafnaoui

Ahmed Hafnaoui is a Tunisian distance freestyle swimmer, born on 4 December 2002, who holds African records in the long course 400 and 1500 metre freestyle. He was the slowest qualifier for the final of the 400 metre freestyle at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, swimming from the outside lane, yet won the gold medal in 3:43.36, the only Olympic gold for Tunisia at those Games. Born into a family where his father played national team basketball, he began swimming at six and joined the national programme at twelve. At the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka he won both the 800 and 1500 metre freestyle titles. He later served a competition ban for missing three anti-doping tests within twelve months.