Australian Olympic gold medal hopes pool boosted as champion reveals Paris doubts

The Tunisian swimmer who surprised the world in Tokyo has revealed he is in doubt for the Paris Olympics, boosting the hopes of a star Australian duo.

Tunisia's Ahmed Hafnaoui is unlikely to head to Paris to defend his Olympic title. Picture: SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP.

The mysterious Tunisian swimmer who produced one of the biggest boilovers in Olympic history to deny Australia’s Jack McLoughlin gold at Tokyo is reportedly pulling out of the Paris Olympics.

One of the world’s best middle-distance swimmers, Ahmed Hafnaoui was looming as the biggest threat to Australia’s star pairing of Sam Short and Elijah Winnington but in a major shock, the 21-year-old has revealed that he is unlikely to show up in Paris after confirming he was suffering from an undisclosed illness,

“I’m currently suffering from an injury, and I don’t know whether or not I will participate in the Olympics,” Hafnaoui told the AFP news agency, without elaborating on his ailment.

Mehrez Bousyan, the head of the Tunisian Olympic Committee had earlier told reporters that Hafnaoui’s mental health was his immediate priority.

“One of our duties as officials is to protect and care for athletes,” Boussayene said.

“More than just medals, we seek above all the well-being of this young man who brought us so much joy. He will have other world competitions.”

Ahmed Hafnaoui from Tunisia shocked the world when he won gold at the Tokyo Olympics. Picture: Clive Rose/Getty Images.

Experts are already becoming alarmed at the increasing number of elite swimmers experiencing mental health problems, with the number of cases expected to surge in the build up to the Paris Olympics.

Some of the greatest legends of the sport, including Michael Phelps and Ian Thorpe, have publicly opened up about their battles with depression.

More recently, numerous world and Olympic champions have stepped away from the pool to look after their mental well being – including Adam Peaty, Caeleb Dressel and Australia’s champion sprinter Kyle Chalmers.

A national hero in his African homeland, Hafnaoui has endured a rollercoaster ride since he was thrust into the spotlight at the Tokyo Olympics as a relative unknown, beating McLoughlin by a fingernail to win the 400m final from the outside lane after sneaking into the final as the slowest qualifier.

Hafnaoui wasn’t seen again on the international stage for two years – skipping the 2022 world championships in Budapest – before suddenly resurfacing at the 2023 world titles in Fukuoka bigger and better than ever.

Pipped at the post by Short in the 400m, Hafnaoui proceeded to turn the tables on the Australian in the 800m then add the 1500m gold in dominant fashion, finishing within half a second of Sun Yang’s seemingly untouchable world record in the longest race in the pool.

But the first sign something was amiss came at this year’s world titles in Doha, when Hafnaoui failed to make the final in any of his three pet events.

The 21-year-old explained at the time that his training had been interrupted because he’d taken a break from his university studies in the United States so had to return to Tunisia to apply for a fresh visa.

With just 11 weeks to go before the start of the Olympics, Hafnaoui’s likely withdrawal from Paris will dramatically change the men’s distance races because he is ranked in the top three in all three events, based on the fastest times since the Tokyo Olympics.

The beneficiaries could be the Australians, Short and Winnington, who have both been in red-hot form in the build up.