Not once has an Egyptian swimmer stood on the podium to accept a medal at the Olympic Games.
Indiana’s Ali Khalafalla wants to change that.
The Egyptian swimmer out of Cairo takes pride in the opportunity to represent his home country in the Rio Games next month. The 50m freestyler said he appreciates the chance to be an ambassador for the sport in a country that historically hasn’t had many swimmers to talk about at the Games.
“Swimming is not really that popular, but we’re getting steadily popular each year,” Khalafalla said. “Hopefully people can see people like me doing it and want to do it, too.”
Khalafalla finished third in the 50m freestyle at the 2016 Arena Pro Series in Orlando to pick up a spot in the 2016 Olympic Games earlier this spring. His 22.25 second lap equaled the fastest time by an Egyptian since 1995.
Khalafalla had an opportunity to qualify in the 100m freestyle the next day in Orlando but struggled after being up all night unable to sleep. He blamed nerves stemming from being too excited when reality sunk in that he already punched a ticket to the Olympics.
The rising junior at Indiana earned four All-America honors at the 2016 NCAA championships, specializing in short-distance events. In his races, Khalafalla can’t afford even the slightest mistake at the risk of falling behind considering how close the field is bunched up from start to finish.
“The 50 freestyle is one of the hardest events at the Olympics to qualify in because it’s just hundredths of a second,” he said. “If I was an inch slower, I would not have made it. You have to be very fast in the water and very strong. It all comes down to your program.”
At Indiana, Khalafalla said he’s made “great strides” thanks to weight training that he wasn’t used to before competing at the NCAA level. Without it, he said he wouldn’t have been able to qualify for the Olympics.
“Getting into the weight room made a huge difference,” he said. “I was way too skinny.”
Khalafalla said he’s trying to go into the Olympics with an open mind. He doesn’t want to put too much pressure on himself or any of the other Egyptian Olympic athletes who will be trying to score medals for their fellow countrymen and women.
More than anything, Khalafalla said this year’s Games are an opportunity to show what Egyptian swimmers like himself can accomplish.
“I try and be focused by thinking about my country,” he said. “I feel like I’m going to be a part of one of these teams that shows what Egyptian swimming can do.”
