The 2012 London Olympic Games: A look at the Libyan athletes

Despite the lack of adequate sporting facilities in light of Libya’s conditions since last year’s revolution, Libyan athletes contesting to partake in this year’s Olympic Games in London have been putting a lot of effort into training.

Ali Mabrouk Al-Zaidi

 Ali Mabrouk Al-Zaidi is a Libyan long-distance runner.   Born on 13 January, 1978, and weighing 59 kilogrammes and 1.73 metres tall, he is the Libyan national record holder in the marathon.

The 34-year-old ran the 1,500 metres marathon at his first Olympics in Atlanta in 1996. He will be running his third Olympic marathon in London. Zaidi was reported saying: “I qualified for the Olympic Games in London and this is my fourth Olympic Games. Thank God I was the first Libyan to raise the independence flag and that was at the World’s Athletics Championship in 2011 in Daegu, South Korea. I was nominated in 2011 at the Marrakesh marathon in Morocco.”

Zaidi competed during the last two Olympic Games, in Athens and Beijing. Although he has never won a medal, he holds Libya’s best overall finish record in an Olympic marathon. He achieved the feat when he ranked 39^th in Athens 2004.

Zaidi trains with Mohammed Khawaja, also a Libyan national record holder in the 200 metres and the 400 metres. Khawaja says, “The Libyan Olympic Team in London will be remembering those who died for the revolution.” He also added, “This is the dream of all athletes, to be in the Olympics. God willing, we’ll do our best for Libya just as the martyrs did and sacrificed their lives for Libya and for this blessed revolution, so we will also hope to give something to them and to our people.”

Ali Mabrouk Al-Zaidi’s personal best:

Source: www.iaaf.org

Ahmed Elkawiseh

Libya will also be participating in the martial-arts sport Judo. Libya will be represented through Ahmed Elkawiseh, a 23-year-old Judoka who will be participating in the Olympics for the first time.

Born on 24 March, 1989, and weighting 66 kilogrammes and standing 1.72 metres tall, he will be competing in the 66-kilo category. Previously, he competed in the Judo 2012 Grand Prix in Baku, Azerbaijan. More recently, he won the AJU Continental Championships 2012 held in Agadir, Morocco, in April. He won five combats on his way to clinch the title. He first beat Norbert Elie from Madagascar, and then he went on to defeat Monyatsiwa Advent from Botswana. ElKadiri Rachid from Morocco was Elkawiseh’s third victim. He then beat Traore Seydou from Mali, before winning the final game against the Tunisian, Khalfaoui Houcem.

According to the International Judo Federation, Elkawiseh is ranked 39^th in the 66-kilo category with 234 points to his record. The ranking is headed by Khashbaatar Tsagaanbaatar from Mongolia

Sofyan El-Gadi

Sofyan El-Gadi is a Libyan Olympic Swimmer. He was born on 1 January, 1992. This is his second Olympics, his first being Beijing in 2008 when he was only 16 years old. Weighing 80 kilogrammes and 1.82 metres tall, he holds 11 Libyan national records.

El-Gadi qualified for the London Olympics as part of the athletes who will compete in the 100 metre butterfly contest. His entry time was 57.67.seconds.  His personal best and a Libyan national record is 56.3 seconds

The University of Bath in the UK has temporarily been home to several athletes preparing for the Olympics. El-Gadi completed his training at the university’s facilities and has now joined his Libyan team mates at the Olympics village. He is reported saying: “I have really enjoyed training in Bath. The Sports Training Village is amazing. The facilities are really good and it has everything you need. Everyone has made me really welcome and I feel like I’m part of the group here. It has been a great experience.”

While at Bath he was coached by Team Bath head swimming coach, Mark Skimming. “It’s been great to have Sofyan with us in Bath and I’d like to wish him the very best of luck at the Olympics”, Skimming was reported as saying.

“I am really looking forward to the experience of competing at London 2012”, said El-Gadi. It’s going to be a really good environment for the athletes and I think it’ll be a lot of fun. I feel much better prepared than I did for years ago and I know I’m going to do great. I’m going to swim my best and give it all I’ve got. I want to break my own Libyan record as that would mean I’m moving forward.”

After the Olympics, El-Ghadi will train in Tunisia for the Arab Swimming Championships in Jordan at the end of August.

Ali Elkekli

Ali Elkekli will be competing in the London Olympics in weightlifting where he will take part at the snatch and clean and jerk contests. The ‘snatch’ permits lifting the weight above the head in one movement while the ‘clean and jerk’ allows the lifter to raise the weight above the head in two movements.

Born 4 September,1989, Elkekli qualified for the 2012 Olympics when he dominated the 85-kilogramme category at the last African Weightlifting Championship which also served as a continental qualifier for the London Olympics. Weighing 84 kilos and 1.72 metres tall, Ali finished with a total of 346 kilos, lifting 155 kilos and 191 kilos respectively in the snatch and clean and jerk contests.

A major concern for Libyan athletes has been the delay in a fatwa exempting Libyan athletes from fasting during Ramadan. Libyan Grand Mufti Ghariani has, so far, not given a final word on whether or not breaking the fast would be permissible in the circumstances. Previously, Elkekli’s trainer, Abdussalam Wershefany has expressed his concern in the matter, stating: “It would have a huge effect. Ali needs to eat five times a day and he should sleep for at least 12-15 hours. Iron, salts, calcium and sugars all need to be maintained at consistent levels in his body, which isn’t possible when fasting during Ramadan.”

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