UAE judo star Remarenco aiming to follow up Toma’s medal success

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • The UAE are hoping for more medal success in Brazil.

    Shooters Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum and Saif bin Futtais commence their skeet qualification on Friday.

    Remarenco faces Algeria’s Lyes Bouyakoub in the round of 32 in Rio today (17:21 UAE time), where he hopes to add to the nation’s medal tally.

    The 28-year-old is one of three Moldovans representing the UAE in Rio this week, alongside Toma and Victor Scvortov. Both Remarenco and Scvortov won unprecedented bronze medals for the Emirates at the 2014 World Championships after gaining citizenship in 2013.

    Toma ended the UAE’s Olympics medal drought on Tuesday night when he beat Italy’s Matteo Marconcini for bronze in the -81kg competition. It was just the country’s second-ever medal at the Games and first since 2004.

    “In Moldova it is not so possible like in the Emirates – a sport career is short,” said Toma of his choice to represent the UAE.

    “I want to say thank you to the UAE because they give our guys a chance to represent the UAE. We always believe and always did all possible to be in the top level.”

    Skeet shooters Sheikh Saeed and Bin Futtais are also considered medal hopefuls for the Emirates as they kick off their campaigns on Friday.

    Sheikh Saeed is competing in his fifth consecutive Games courtesy of his third-place showing at the Asian Olympic Qualifying competition in New Delhi early this year.

    Bin Futtais secured an Olympic quota place for the UAE last year when he took gold at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Cyprus. He also won the Asian Olympic Qualifying event this year.

    On the track, Ethiopian-born pair Alia Saeed and Betlhem Desalegn Belayneh line up for the 10,000m and 1,500m respectively on Friday.

    Saeed has been rising to prominence over the past two years, becoming just the fourth woman in history to win 10,000m gold at both the Asian Games (Incheon 2014) and Asian Athletics Championships (Wuhan 2015).

    She ran a personal best time of 31:10.25 in Dubai in April which places her in the 11th spot in the world rankings over the distance in 2016.

    “I’m really happy with this time,” Saeed, 25, told Sport360. “I’m happy to be at my first Olympic Games and of course I am nervous, it is the Olympics after all, but I’m hoping to do my best.”

    Question marks remain over Belayneh’s participation after she aggravated a hamstring injury en route to winning the 1,500m in Heusden, Belgium last month.

    It is still unclear whether she will indeed line up for the 1,500m heats on Friday.

    In the pool, UAE flag-bearer Nada Al Bedwawi will make her Olympics debut in the 50m freestyle heats. Originally a backstroker, Al Bedwawi has not swum the 50 free in official competition in almost two years and she believes she can clock a significantly faster time than her current PB of 33 seconds. She’s targeting a 28 or 29 in Rio tomorrow. The 18-year-old is the UAE’s first female Olympic swimmer.

    Schedule

    Thursday August 11

    17:21 Judo -100kg R32: Ivan Remarenco v Lyes Bouyakoub (ALG)

    Friday August 12

    16:30: Shooting Skeet qualification Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum, Saif Bin Futtais

    18:10: Athletics 10,000m final Alia Saeed

    20:02: Swimming 50m freestyle heats Nada Al Bedwawi

    03:30: (+1) Athletics 1,500m heats Betlhem Belayneh

    Recommended