Ahmed Hafnaoui’s journey at the World Swimming Championships in Doha has come to an early end. After being eliminated in the heats of the 400m individual medley, the Tunisian swimmer had no better luck in the 800m event on Tuesday, February 13. Hafnaoui, the defending world champion in the distance, will not be able to defend his crown. He finished 18th overall with a time of 7:51.52, a major disappointment for the Olympic champion.
Despite expressing little optimism about his chances of posting fast times in Doha ahead of the competition, Hafnaoui’s results raise further questions about his preparation for the Paris Olympic Games.