REFLECTIONS
SAUDI ARABIA
EVENT M1X
PLACING 24th
AsI lined up at the start for my first race in Tokyo, I joked to myself: what have I gotten myself into? It was a significant moment for me as I became the first Saudi rower to compete at an Olympic Games after having started rowing just 4 years ago. On the same day I also had the great honour of being a flagbearer at the Olympic opening ceremony. I then raced the very next morning in my repechage where I qualified to the quarterfinals! It was an intense 24 hours which generated a lot of interest back home and introduced what is a new sport to the Kingdom.
