Hafnaoui third in Angers, Beijing qualification not confirmed
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Business News
Tunisia’s Ahmed Ayoub Hafnaoui finished third in the 800m freestyle short-course event in Angers, in 7 minutes 40.68 seconds, on 30 October. The performance is not enough to confirm his qualification for the Beijing World Championships, as international qualifying times and official selection must also be checked, according to Business News.
Ahmed Ayoub Hafnaoui finished third in the 800m freestyle on Friday 30 October at the French Elite short-course Championships in Angers, with a time of 7 minutes 40.68 seconds. The Tunisian swimmer’s performance was faster than the World Aquatics A qualifying time for the Beijing Short Course World Championships, but does not by itself confirm his official selection, reports Business News.
The World Aquatics A qualifying time for the men’s 800m freestyle is 7 minutes 42.39 seconds, while the B qualifying time is 7 minutes 58.57 seconds. Hafnaoui therefore beat the A qualifying time by 1.71 seconds. The time of 7 minutes 37.14 seconds cited by several publications corresponds to the French team’s selection criteria, not the international qualifying time applicable to Tunisia.
The Beijing World Championships are scheduled for 1 to 6 December 2026. Hafnaoui, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion, has already won the 400m and 800m in Grenoble on 11 October, before completing a hat-trick there on 14 October 2026.
