MUSCAT: Oman’s sprinter Ali al Balushi wrapped up his participation at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo with a strong showing against a world-class field in the men’s 100m event. Competing at the state-of-the-art Japan National Stadium, Al Balushi clocked 10.25 seconds to finish fourth in Heat 3 of the first round. The race featured elite names, with world number two Noah Lyles of the USA securing victory in 9.95 seconds, followed by Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake who clocked 10.07s and Bahamas’ Terrence Jones registered a timing of 10.16s.
Across the seven heats, South Africa’s Gift Leotlela led the standings with a stunning timing of 9.87s – his personal best – followed closely by Nigeria’s Kayinsola Ajayi who managed to end the distance within a 9.88 seconds as his personal best and Jamaica’s Oblique Seville (9.93s).
Lyles placed fourth overall in the preliminary round. In the final rankings, Al Balushi secured 38th position out of 56 sprinters worldwide, reflecting his continued progress on the international stage. The top finishers from each of the seven heats along with 3 fastest times took part at the semifinal and it was followed with a final in the same day on Sunday night.
Al Balushi’s participation in Tokyo was earned through his remarkable gold medal performance at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold in Beijing, where he posted a new personal best of 10.09 seconds. That achievement highlighted his growing stature in global athletics and secured his qualification for the championships.
Al Balushi will turn his attention now to the 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games which is scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia from November 7 to 21. He will be joined by fellow Omani sprinter Mulham al Balushi and the national relay team, all of whom have qualified for the event.
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