Who are the Arab athletes who have won gold medals at the Olympics?

With days left before the Olympic Games in Paris are set to start, athletes from across the Arab world will be gearing up to compete in their respective disciplines in the French capital, as millions of supporters will watch either in France or at home.

Countries in North Africa and the Middle East will be sending athletes to compete in a wide range of categories, including athletics, boxing, and weightlifting, where athletes from the region have traditionally found success, and newer events, such as surfing and skateboarding.

A total of 33 gold medals have been won by athletes from the region over the years. The New Arab takes at those who have brought home gold in the coveted sports competition.

Egypt, region's leading nation

Egypt leads the region’s gold medal tally, having respectively won eight in all Summer Olympic Games.

The country’s first gold medals came during the 1928 Games in Amsterdam, with wrestler Ibrahim Moustafa finishing top of the Men’s Greco-Roman lightweight category, and weightlifter El Sayed Nosseir winning gold in the men’s 82.5 kg event.

The country found success in the following Olympics, securing two golds in 1936 and 1948 - both in weightlifting. A gold medal drought ensued until the Athens Olympics in 2004, with Karam Gaber winning gold in the Men’s Greco-Roman wrestling, 96 kg category.

Egypt’s most recent gold was won at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, held in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The medal was won for the first time by a female athlete, karateka Feryal Abdelaziz, winning the +61 kg event.

Maghreb magic

Morocco is the country in the region with the second highest number of gold medals, having won seven in total.

The North African country’s first gold came forty years ago, in Los Angeles in 1984. The medal was won by 400m hurdler Nawal El Moutawakel, who became the first Arab, African and Muslim woman to win gold at any Olympics.

El Moutawakel wasn’t the only Moroccan gold medalist in LA. She was joined by Said Aouita, who finished first in the men’s 5000m discipline.

The Moroccans struck gold again in the 1988 and 1992 Games, held in Seoul and Barcelona respectively. Long-distance runner Brahim Boutayeb won the 10,000m event in South Korea, while Khalid Skah won the same event four years later.

One of Morocco’s sporting greats, Hicham El Guerrouj, won two gold medals in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, finishing first the 1500 and 5000 metre categories.

The country’s most recent gold came during the last Olympic Games in Tokyo, which saw Soufiane El Bakkali win the 3000m steeplechase.

Algeria and Tunisia both tie with five gold medals each. Algeria won its first 32 years ago in Barcelona, with middle-distance runner Hassiba Boulmerka crossing the line first in the 1500m event.

Gold medals ensured in both Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 for Algeria. Noureddine Morceli also won the 1500m event, with boxer Hocine Soltani winning gold in the men’s lightweight category.

Algeria’s dominance in the 1500m event continued in Sydney 2000, and in London 2012, with Nouria Merah-Benida and Taoufik Makhloufi winning their respective events.

Tunisia's gold medals have come in mostly swimming and athletes. The country’s first gold was secured in 1968 in Mexico City, with 5000m runner Mohammed Gammoudi crossing the finish line first.

The country had to wait until 2008 for a first podium finish, thanks to Oussama Mellouli, who became the first Arab to win gold in a swimming event at an Olympic Games.

Mellouli won the 1500m freestyle in Beijing and the 10km freestyle in London, four years later.

Also in London, runner Habiba Ghribi became the first woman from her country to win gold, winning the 3000m steeplechase.

In Tokyo 2020, Tunisia returned to swimming glory, with teenager Ahmed Hafnaoui winning the 400m freestyle event.

Middle Eastern triumphs

Qatar and Bahrain are the Gulf region’s countries with the most gold medals, having won two each. Doha’s two golds came in the last Olympics in Tokyo, with weightlifter Fares Ibrahim winning the 96kg category, and high-jumper Motaz Essa Barsham winning his event.

Barsham famously emerged as the joint winner of the event with Italian Gianmarco Tamberi. The two made history for agreeing to share the gold medal and were praised for displaying great sportsmanship.

Maryam Yusuf Jamal won neighbouring Bahrain’s first won gold in London 2012, after finishing first on the podium in the women’s 1500m event. Compatriot Ruth Jebet won the gruelling 3000m steeplechase event four years later, in Rio de Janeiro.

Last but not least, Syria, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates have won one gold medal each in separate categories, respectively.

Ghada Shouaa became the first and only gold medalist – male or female – from Syria in 1996, when she won the women’s heptathlon event. Her win is considered among the Arab world’s greatest achievements in sport.

The UAE’s gold came in 2004 in Athens, after shooter Ahmed Al Maktoum finished first in the men’s double trap event. Jordanian taekwondo fighter Ahmad Abu-Ghaush delighted his home country with a win in the men’s 68kg category in 2016.

Arab athletes will be once again vying for glory in Paris this summer, with several hopefuls looking to defend titles, or become first-time winners.