Let’s Get Behind These 13 UAE Athletes Going For Gold In Rio!

Though opening rounds have already begun, the 2016 Summer Olympics officially kicks off tomorrow, 5 August.

This year marks a first for entrants Kosovo and South Sudan who will join 205 other nations to battle it out in 28 different sports, including rugby sevens and golf.

Here are the men and women representing the UAE and we wish them all the luck!

Cycling

Yousif Mirza

In addition to winning multiple Emirati national titles, Mirza was a silver medallist at the 2015 Asian Cycling Championships. He will compete in the Men’s Road Race.

Judo

Ivan Remarenco

The Moldovan-born Emirati competed in the Men’s – 90kg event at the 2012 Summer Olympics and will compete in the Men’s – 100kg this year.

Sergiu Toma

Also a Moldovan-born Emirati, the 29-year-old competed in the Men’s – 81kg event at the 2012 Summer Olympics and will do so again this year.

Victor Scvortov

The 28-year-old won a World Championships medal as first judoka from the UAE in 2014 and will represent the country in the Men’s – 73kg.

Shooting

Khaled Al-Kaabi

The Abu Dhabi Police First Warrant Officer won the Double Trap gold at the Asian Shooting Qualifiers in New Delhi and will represent UAE for the same.

Saeed Al-Maktoum

A member of the ruling family, he represented the UAE in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympics and will do so this year as well for Men’s Skeet.

Saif bin Futtais

The Emirati has previously taken a gold medal in the Men’s Skeet category at the 2015 ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Cyprus. He will represent the UAE for the same category.

Swimming

Nada Al-Bedwawi

The 18-year-old is the country’s first Olympic female swimmer in the Women’s 50m Freestyle.

Yaqoub Al-Saadi

The 20-year-old will represent UAE in the Men’s 100m Backstroke.

Track

Saud Al-Zaabi 

The Abu Dhabi Police employee has participated in several police competitions prior to being selected for Rio. He will compete in the Men’s 1500m.

Betlhem Desalegn

The Ethiopian-born Emirati will compete for the Women’s 1500m, just as she competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Alia Saeed Mohammed 

Born Medina Kadir, the long-distance runner was the 10,000m gold medallist at the 2014 Asian Games. She is participating in the Women’s 10,000m.

Weightlifting

Aisha Al-Balushi 

The 24-year-old is the UAE’s only athlete in the weightlifting category – 58kg. So far she’s won 13 gold, six silver and four bronze medals in various international competitions.

Main pic credit: AA_171