Ali al Balushi clocks season-best at Swedish indoor athletics

MUSCAT: Oman’s leading sprinter Ali al Balushi delivered an impressive start to his indoor season after producing a strong performance at the Bauhaus—Galan Indoor Athletics Championships 2026, which took place on Thursday at the Satra Athletics Hall in Stockholm, Sweden.
Al Balushi clocked 6.60 seconds in the men’s 60 metres final, marking his seasonal best and finishing fifth overall in a highly competitive field featuring some of the world’s top sprinters. Great Britain’s Romell Glave claimed first place with a time of 6.51 seconds, followed by compatriot Jeremiah Azu in second at 6.54 seconds, while Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson secured third place after clocking 6.56 seconds.
Earlier in the day, the Omani sprinter showed consistency in the heats, finishing third in Heat 2 of the men’s 60 metres with a time of 6.62 seconds. Glave topped the heat with 6.55 seconds, while Azu followed closely in second at 6.58 seconds, confirming the high standard of competition at the prestigious indoor meeting.
Following his appearance in Stockholm, Al Balushi is set to continue his European indoor campaign when he competes in the men’s 60 metres at the World Athletics Meeting de Paris Indoor, scheduled to take place on Sunday as he will build momentum ahead of key international events.
Ali's latest performance adds to an impressive run of results over the past year. At the Islamic Solidarity Games Riyadh in November 2025, he had claimed gold for Oman in the men’s 100 metres, registering a time of 10.30 seconds. He also played a key role in Oman’s silver-medal finish in the men’s 4x100 metres relay, alongside teammates Mohammed al Saadi, Rashid al Asmi and Mulhim al Balushi.
Earlier in September, Al Balushi had competed at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, producing a commendable performance in the men’s 100 metres. Racing at the Japan National Stadium, he had clocked 10.25 seconds to finish fourth in Heat 3 of the opening round against a world-class field that included world number two Noah Lyles of the USA, who won the heat in 9.95 seconds, Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake came second in 10.07 seconds and Terrence Jones of the Bahamas was third in 10.16 seconds.