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Abdalelah Haroun Wins Qatar Bronze Medal At The IAAF World Championships

Abdalelah Haroun, Qatar, took home bronze medal at the 400M event at the IAAF World Championships in London

Abdalelah Haroun from Qatar finished third at the 400M event at the IAAF World Championships in London this week, becomes first Asian medalist.

The 20-year-old track and field sprinter Abdalelah Haroun finished 3rd at the men’s 400M race at the IAAF World Championships in London on Wednesday, winning his country Qatar their first medal at the competition.

Haroun finished his dash across the 400 meters-long course in 44.48 seconds, coming in third, behind South Africa’s Wayde van Niekerk (43.98) and Steve Gardiner from the Bahamas (44.41).

Wayde van Niekerk currently holds the 400M world record for his 43.03 seconds finish at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

“The first thing I wanted to do was reach the final but I’ve had to fight for a medal. I knew it was a big chance for me so, I am very happy to have taken the opportunity,” said Haroun, who became the first Asian world 400M medalist.

“It is a very special moment for my country and an honor to take the bronze medal with me,” he added in a statement to the IAAF website.

In 2015, Abdalelah Haroun won gold at the 400M events at the Asian Championships in Wuhan, China, and the Arab Championships in Isa Town, Bahrain. Last year he won two gold medals at the Asian Indoor Championships in Doha, and a silver medal at the World Indoor Championships in Portland, United States.

His personal bests are 44.27 seconds in 400 meters outdoors and 45.39 seconds in 400 meters indoors.

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