Swimmer Oussama Mellouli: "It would be nice to go to the 2024 Olympics"
Tunisian swimmer Oussama Mellouli at the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games. REUTERS - ANTONIO BRONIC
Text by: Christophe Diremszian
4 min
Oussama Mellouli finished 20th in the 10 km marathon on August 5 at the Tokyo Games.
The Tunisian, who hesitated to come because of problems with his Federation, still hopes to be present in Paris in 2024 for his seventh consecutive Olympics.
Provided that whoever won gold in Beijing in 2008 and in London in 2012 is put in better conditions.
Maintenance.
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RFI: Oussama Mellouli, how do you react to your 20th place?
Oussama Mellouli
: […] I think we can consider that as a poor performance.
But I am still proud of this sixth qualification for the Games and to represent Tunisia among the greatest sportsmen in the world.
You had some extra-sporting setbacks before coming to Tokyo. Did they have an impact on your performance?
Certainly !
Psychologically, I took some hard hits.
The previous five weeks have not been easy.
I could have been in better conditions.
[…] To summarize, I have been in very difficult conditions with the Tunisian Swimming Federation since 2017. There have been some overruns (sic) in terms of athlete support, to frame the subject of a soft way… We must rectify the situation as quickly as possible, especially if we want to go to the Olympic Games in Paris 2024.
What happened with your Federation?
Basically, my scholarship has been hijacked since 2017. I have been deprived of a preparation, a budget, a lot of things.
On top of that, we tried to tarnish my image, with very, very serious accusations.
Things that had never happened in the history of Tunisian sport.
These were really very, very difficult conditions ...
Do you blame your Federation?
Of course, because we could have handled the situation differently.
But political instability has meant that the overruns (sic) have been able to continue.
We have not been able to rectify the situation.
This is what is unfortunate in my case.
I think that the athlete that I am, with the mind that I have, can do better than what I have achieved today.
Much better…
Do you know if you want to continue your career?
Yes, I want to continue.
It would be great to go to Paris 2024 and have other Games.
It's doable, I think.
I have the qualities and the means to achieve this and to position myself among the best in the world in this event.
Finally, what do you think of Ahmed Hafnaoui, who won the gold medal at the Olympic 400m freestyle. It is a phenomenon. We hadn't seen his coronation coming. Can we consider him as your heir?
Hafnaoui is the surprise of the swimming world this year.
He had a big race in the 400m when it is a race which is very difficult to master.
It was like a thunderclap.
What he did was magnificent.
Do you see him as your heir?
An heir, why not?
That's all I want.
It is already magnificent what he did.
Swimming is a very, very hard sport.
I know the price he paid to be there.
He deserves all the happiness in the world.
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