Algeria's Sedjati takes silver and waves Palestinian flag at the World Athletics Championships in US

Algerian middle-distance runner Djamel Sedjati waved the Palestinian flag as he took silver in the 800 metres race at the World Athletics Championships held in the US last week.

Sedjati waved the flag as he celebrated his medal at the stadium in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday, with activists applauding the Algerian athlete's show of support for the Palestinian cause during his moment of glory.

A few more photos I got. Djamel Sedjati of Algeria waving the Palestinian flag at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon after winning the silver medal in the 800m. Cannot describe how cool this was pic.twitter.com/8nrvybSWKi

— Olivia Katbi 🌹 (@oliviakatbi) July 24, 2022

"[I] cannot describe how cool this was," said one supporter of the athlete on Twitter.

Algerian athletes often show support for Palestine at international events.

Judoka Fethi Nourine pulled out of a match against an Israeli competitor during last year’s Tokyo Olympics, while Manchester City footballer Riyad Mahrez waved the Palestinian flag amid Israel's devastating war on the besieged Gaza Strip which killed hundreds, including children.

Other Arabs also won glory in Oregon, one of the world's biggest athletics events which concluded Sunday, taking home three medals.

Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali and Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim both won golds last week.

Qatar's Barshim made history during the high jump final as he became the discipline’s first ever athlete to retain his world champion status three years in a row. The Sudanese-born high jumper was crowned world champion in 2017 in London and 2019 in Doha, respectively.

He is also the current Olympic champion, having won Qatar's first ever Olympic gold at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo last year, sharing it with Italy's Gianmarco Tamberi.

Barshim, who’s the second-best high jumper of all time, had previously expressed doubt over his physical readiness before the event started, according to The New Arab sister site, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed. 

Meanwhile, El Bakkali made the leap from 2019’s bronze medal to gold with his victory in the 3000 metres steeple chase, making him the first non-Kenyan or non-Kenyan-born athlete to win the event in 31 years.

Like Barshim, the 26-year-old is also the reigning 2020 Olympic champion in the sport, having won the North African country’s only medal at the games.

During the previous competition held in Doha in 2019, Arab athletes amassed a total of four medals, including gold for Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser in the 400 metres race, who is currently facing a ban from the sport until 2023.