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Bahrain’s battling Maryam Yusuf Jamal is on the right track and aiming for Olympic glory at a special intensive and gruelling training camp with the nation’s elite athletes in Switzerland.
She may have her head near or even in the clouds in the mountainous region of Europe, but her feet are firmly on the ground knowing that only hard work, sweat and determination will make her dreams of glory a medal-winning reality in London.
Twelve of Bahrain’s top runners hope to be competing against the best athletes from around the globe at the 2012 Olympics.
The Bahrain Athletics National Team travelled to Switzerland on June 15 to train at a camp in St Moritz in preparation for the Games. They will be based there until August 2.
Ethiopian-born middle-distance runner Maryam, 27, who has made the kingdom proud on numerous occasions, is one of six women that aim to compete in London under the Bahraini flag and has already qualified for the 1500m event with a time of 4:00.33.
She is a two-time world champion in the 1500m – having won at the 2007 and 2009 World Championships in Athletics – but the major prize of Olympic gold has so far escaped her. She desperately wants to force her way into medal contention this time round after finishing a disappointing fifth in the 1500m final of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Belal Mansoor Ali, a Kenyan-born middle-distance runner who was also adopted by the kingdom, has qualified for the men’s 1500m with a time of 3:35.49. He has also qualified for the 800m with a time of 1:45.78.
Lounes Madene, technical manager of Bahrain Athletics Association, who is with the squad, said: “The team will have a specific training mesocycle, which is part of a training programme that lasts between one to three months, for preparation of the London Olympic Games.
“Most of our athletes are already qualified for London. Some are still waiting to reach the necessary entry standard in order to take part in the athletics meetings in Europe.
“The team will leave for London progressively based on the events schedule of each athlete. The first group will move to London on July 26, the second on July 31 and the third group on August 2.
“The objective for most of our athletes will be to reach the finals and to achieve a good position.
“Our athletes are still in the preparation phase and are accumulating more experience and maturity at this level of competition. Their principal target for Olympic medals will be for Rio de Janeiro 2016.
“The Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) and the Bahrain Athletics Association have provided us with all the necessary conditions for optimal and qualitative preparation and we are confident that we can build a strong, high level group of athletes.”
Each National Olympic Committee may enter up to three qualified athletes in each individual event if all athletes meet an A standard or one athlete per event if they meet the B standard. These timed standards have had to be reached at official race meetings across the season.
Other athletes flying Bahrain’s colours who have qualified in the Standard A Athletic events include Ethiopian-born middle distance runners Mimi Belete and Genzeb Shumi in the 1,500m, long-distance runners Tejitu Daba and Bilisuma Shugi in the 5,000m, long-distance runner Shitaye Eshete and Kenyan-born Mahboob Hasan in the 10,000m along with Adam Ismail Kamis.
Ethiopian-born Lishan Dula has qualified for the marathon, Dejenee Regasa who qualified in the Standard B 5000m and Alemu Bekele also qualified in the Standard B 10,000m.
The kingdom has also qualified in two other disciplines within the Summer Games as Arab champion Azza Al Qasmi aims for a top finish on the shooting range and two young swimmers Khalid Babr and Sara Slaij prepare to make a big splash in the swimming section.
BOC’s chief executive officer Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa expressed happiness over the kingdom’s participation in the coming games and said star athlete Jamal, hotshot Al Qasimi and swimmers Babar and Slaij will be spearheading Bahrain’s Olympic bid for glory bringing pride to the nation. He wished all those representing the country every success in the challenges ahead.
Shaikh Khalid told GulfWeekly: “The BOC has been keen to turn up in all the Olympic Games since 1984 without interruption and always strives to show effective participation both on the administrative and field levels.”
Other athletes have until July 18 to qualify and they include Kenya Yusuf Saad Kamel in the 800m and 1500m events, controversial Moroccan-born Rashid Ramzi in the 1500m who had to hand back his Beijing Olympic gold medal after a late test result for a performance-enhancer proved positive, Kenyan-born Tareq Mubarak Taher in the 3000m steeplechase, Bahraini Mohamed Yusuf Salman in the triple jump and in the Standard B Kenyan-born Kareema Jasim in the women’s 10,000m.
The London Olympics will be held from July 27 to August 12 and will see more than 200 nations from across the world taking part in 300 events.
