Syrian swimmer Yusra Mardini who inspired Netflix film returns to Syria after 10 years
While crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey to Greece in 2015, she not only survived but along with her sister heroically saved the lives of everyone onboard her dinghy. In the middle of the tumultuous journey, the boat's engine gave in. The two sisters jumped into the water and swam beside the boat for several hours, navigating it to safety.
After having found refuge in Germany, Mardini went on to compete as a member of the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and then again at the games in Tokyo.
She had not been to Syria since.
'I can't believe this moment is real. After 10 years, I'm back at the pool where it all began, the place where I dreamed of competing at the Olympics, where I fell in love with swimming, and where so much of my journey started,' she said Thursday on Instagram.
In 2017 at the age of 19, Mardini was appointed the youngest-ever Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
'So much has changed, yet it still feels like home. I never knew if I'd ever see this place again, and now, standing on this pool deck, I'm overwhelmed with emotions, gratitude, nostalgia, and pure joy. This pool shaped me, and today I get to be here again…I'm home,' she added.
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The inspiring 27-year-old has penned her memoir Butterfly: From Refugee to Olympian – My Story of Rescue, Hope and Triumph.
She also launched The Yusra Mardini Foundation, a non-profit organization working toward providing access to sports and education to refugees.
In December last year, an opposition coalition in Syria ousted then-president Bashar al-Assad in a lightening offensive, ending an authoritarian regime, which started with his father in 1971.
Earlier this year, Ahmed al-Sharaa, then the leader of the opposition group which led al-Assad's overthrow, was appointed president.
Syrians everywhere largely welcomed the toppling of al-Assad, emphasizing the need to be cautiously optimistic about the new government.
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Arab News
3 days ago
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Marchand breaks world record in 200 individual medley; US, Australia win more world gold
SINGAPORE: Léon Marchand smashed the 200m individual medley world record in Singapore on Wednesday with another breathtaking swim while Australia and the United States celebrated more gold. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport Marchand set the mark swimming in the semifinals and, in theory, could break it again in Thursday's finals. He won four Olympic gold medals a year ago in Paris, but he's swimming only the 200 and 400 medley – and relays – in Singapore. Planning the lighter schedule in what he calls a 'transition year' keeps him fresh to chase the world marks. Marchand didn't just break the 14-year-old record, he shattered it. 'What's crazy is that it's a whole second — and it's still hard to believe,' he said. '1:52 on the 200 meters — that's insane.' Marchand will swim the 400 IM on Sunday, the final day of the world championships. He holds that record of 4:02.50 set in the 2023 worlds in Fukuoka, Japan. And it seems likely to go. 'Today I felt really good before the race,' he said. 'In the water, I felt light, I was taking in a lot of water and technically everything felt clean.' Asked about swimming a lighter schedule he replied in an understatement: 'It was probably the right decision.' Marchand was about 1.8 seconds under the world record after 150 meters and powered home with the final freestyle leg. Though this race did not yield a world title — that will come on Thursday in the final — it did win Marchand a check for $30,000. 'In the end I went out hard from the start,' he said. 'But I stayed super-relaxed. I didn't make many mistakes. I didn't realize I was going that fast but I gave it absolutely everything. Arms at full speed all the way to the wall. At that point I wasn't even thinking about technique anymore.' More than Marchand Despite being only a semifinal, Marchand overshadowed the five finals on Day 4 of the worlds — the halfway mark with four days more to go. Those finals produced medals for the United States, Australia, Italy, Tunisia, and the Neutral Athletes. American Luca Urlando picked up the third gold medal for the United States in the championships, winning the 200 butterfly in 1:51.87. Krzysztof Chmielewski of Poland was second in 1:52.64 with bronze for Harrison Turner of Australia in 1:54.17. Urlando has battled back from several surgeries for his first big title on the world stage. 'It was a great race – all great — a great moment,' he said. 'I'm trying to have as much fun as I can with it.' He was asked how he overcame the setbacks and he replied: 'The belief that I could get back to a moment like this. Internal belief.' Mollie O'Callaghan of Australia, the defending Paris Olympic champion in the 200 freestyle, repeated her title in the worlds, pulling away in the last 50 to finish in 1:53.48. Li Bingjie of China was the silver medalist in 1:54.52, with bronze going to American Claire Weinstein in 1:54.57. O'Callaghan has had a difficult time coming back after the Olympic victory, dealing with the stress and the post-games letdown. 'I've had an amazing coach Dean (Boxall) to guide me through this difficult time,' O'Callaghan said. 'It's hard for a lot of people to come back after the Olympics.' Weinstein, like many of the Americans, has been dealing with what team officials call 'acute gastroenteritis' picked up at a training camp in Thailand before arriving in Singapore. A new name, missing name Ahmed Jaouadi of Tunisia won the 800 free, clocking 7:36.88 — the third fastest time ever swum in the event. Sven Schwarz of Germany claimed silver in 7:39.96 with fellow German Lukas Martens taking bronze in 7:40.19. American Bobby Finke, the three-time Olympic gold medalist, was fourth, far off the pace in 7:46.42. Sam Short of Australia, who had the second-quickest qualifying time in the 800, pulled out of the race with what the team said was food poisoning. One big shock came in the men's 100 freestyle semifinals where world-record holder Pan Zhanle of China failed to reach the top eight for Thursday's final. American Jack Alexy had the best time of 46.81 with David Popovici across in 46.84. Pan finished in 47.81, far off his world-record time of 46.40 set last year in Paris. In the men's 50 breaststroke, Simone Cerasuolo of Italy won in 26.54 with silver for Kirill Prigoda swimming as a Neutral Athlete, and bronze for Qin Haiyang of China. McIntosh and Yu In the women's 200 butterfly semifinals, Canadian Summer McIntosh qualified in 2:06.22. Yu Zidi, the 12-year-old Chinese, swam 2:07.95 to make the final eight. Her time was the eighth best. McIntosh has already won two gold medals and is trying for five in Singapore. Yu finished fourth earlier in the championships in the 200 individual medley. In the final event, the Neutral Athletes won the mixed 4x100 medley relay in 3:37.97. China was second (3:39.99) and Canada was third (3:40.90). The United States failed to reach Wednesday's final after finishing 10th in qualifying. They were Olympic champions last year in Paris. Britain and France also missed reaching the final. SINGAPORE : Leon Marchand smashed the 200m individual medley world record in Singapore on Wednesday with another breathtaking swim while Australia and the United States celebrated more gold. Racing in the semifinals at the world championships, the Frenchman clocked 1min 52.69sec to wipe more than a second off the previous record of 1:54.00 set by Ryan Lochte in 2011. Marchand beat Michael Phelps's long-standing 400m medley record at the world championships in Japan two years ago. 'Actually I can't believe it right now,' said Marchand, who won four individual golds in front of his home fans at the Paris Olympics a year ago and was the face of the Games. 'I knew I was going to be close to my PB (personal best) because I felt really good today and preparation has been pretty good. 'But 1:52 is unbelievable for me.' Marchand, 23, took an extended break from swimming after Paris and only returned to competition in May. He is focusing on the individual medley events in Singapore and had said he was gunning for Lochte's record. Marchand got his world championships campaign under way on Wednesday morning, clocking a time of 1:57.63 in the heats. He said he would go all-out for the record in the semifinals rather than conserve his energy for Thursday's final.
