UAE athlete Salma Haitham Al Marri has set a new national record in the women’s hammer throw, reaching a distance of 58.96 metres during the qualifying rounds of the World Athletics U20 Championships, known as Oregon 2026, currently taking place in Eugene, USA. Her performance surpassed the previous national benchmark of 58.12 metres.
Rashid Naser Al Ali, a board member of the UAE Athletics Federation and head of the National Teams Committee, praised Al Marri’s competitive spirit against world-class field. She placed 13th out of 22 competitors, finishing just one spot shy of the final. Notably, she outperformed athletes from nations with strong traditions in throwing events, such as Spain, Denmark, and Poland.
Al Ali highlighted the rapid progression of the young athlete, noting that her career trajectory marks her as a rising talent for the UAE. Last year in Slovenia, she set a national record of 49.02 metres, improving upon the previous 44.60-metre mark across youth, junior, and senior levels. Her latest achievement at the World Championships demonstrates her significant potential, especially as she remains in the junior category with further room to grow.
The UAE team also saw success from sprinter Suleiman Abdul Rahman, who advanced to the 400-metre semifinals. He initially qualified by finishing third in his heat with a time of 46.68 seconds. In the semifinals, he improved his performance to 46.27 seconds, though he ultimately placed fourth in his heat and narrowly missed a spot in the final.
Reflecting on the team’s performance, Al Ali stated that these results against elite international competition serve as a positive indicator for the future of Emirati athletics. He added that the outcomes confirm the Federation’s current strategy is effectively fostering a new generation of champions.
He added that Al Marri finished the qualifiers in 13th place worldwide among 22 athletes, outperforming athletes from national teams with a prominent presence in throwing events, including Poland, Denmark, and Spain, fin
He noted that the rapid improvement in the athlete’s marks strengthens her position as one of the UAE’s most prominent emerging talents in throwing events, after she previously recorded 49.02 metres in Slovenia last year
