Sheikh Joaan Meets with Sports Officials on the Sidelines of the World Aquatics Championships

His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), today met with a number of senior sports officials on the sidelines of the World Aquatics Championships 2024, currently taking place in Doha.  His Excellency held individual meetings with Mr. Mohammad Khosravi Vafa, President of the Iranian Olympic Committee; Mr. II Guk Kim, Minister of Physical Culture and Sports and President of the National Olympic Committee of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea; and Mr.  Chu Jinqing, Vice Minister of Sports and Vice President of the Chinese Olympic Committee. During the meetings, His Excellency discussed with each of the officials potential sports cooperation and ways to support them in the future. The meetings were also attended by His Excellency Mr. Mohammed bin Yousef Al Mana, First Vice President of the QOC, and His Excellency Mr. Jassim bin Rashid Al Buainain, Secretary General of the QOC.  

Sheikh Joaan honors Qatar Handball Team for winning Asian Men’s Handball Championship

Doh: H.E. President of Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani honored the Qatar national handball team, on the occasion of their winning of the title of the 21st Asian Men’s Handball Championship, held recently in Bahrain. The honoring ceremony was attended by H.E. Second Vice-President of QOC Dr. Thani bin Abdulrahman Al Kuwari, H.E. Secretary-General of QOC Jassim Rashid Al Buainain, and President of the Qatar Handball Association (QHA) Ahmed Al Shaabi. HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani praised the achievement made by the champions of the handball team, thanking the players and members of the administrative and technical staff for the great efforts that resulted in this achievement. His Excellency wished success to all Qatari teams and to achieve more accomplishments and honorable results in their upcoming participation at all levels. Qatar handball team won the Asian title after defeating Japan 30/24 in the final match to retain the title for the sixth consecutive time. The team also qualified for the 2025 IHF World Men's Handball Championship, which will be held in Croatia, Denmark, and Norway for the tenth time. (QNA)  

Sheikh Joaan Meets with the President of Jordan Olympic Committee

His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), met today with His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Hussein, President of the Jordan Olympic Committee, on the sidelines of the World Aquatics Championships 2024, currently taking place in Doha. The meeting reviewed aspects of joint sports cooperation and ways to support and develop them.  

Chinese twins regain artistic swimming title

Doha: Twins Liuyi and Qianyi Wang reclaimed the women’s technical duet title at the World Aquatics Championships Doha on Monday. The 27-year-old sisters first took the crown in Budapest in 2022 but just missed the podium in the discipline last year in Fukuoka, Japan. They scored 266.0484 points. Britons Kate Shortman and Isabelle Thorpe took silver with 259.5601 and Spaniards Alisa Ozhogina and Iris Tio Casas repeated last year’s bronze with 258.0333 pts. Japan’s Moe Higa and Mashiro Yasunaga, who were crowned champions in 2023, withdrew just before qualifying started, one of the two swimmers being unwell. Meanwhile, Olympic champion Quan Hongchan clinched her first individual world title with victory in the women’s 10m platform diving. The Chinese star, 16, laid down an early statement of intent in the final with a forward dive with 3.5 somersaults in pike worth 76.50 to top the round 1 leaderboard. Nineteen-year-old Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix of Britain, fresh from winning the mixed team event title, continued her good form with a round 2 inward 3.5 somersault tuck worth 81.60 that was met with gasps around the Hamad Aquatics Complex to take top spot. But the joy was short lived, as the superlative Quan responded with an almost perfect 91.20 to retake the lead, while her compatriot, 10m synchro Olympic champion Chen Yuxi, slipped into second with an 86.40. A consistent display over the first three rounds from Kim Mi Rae saw the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea diver complete a top four that had all secured at least 220 points overall at the halfway stage. The fourth round saw Quan step things up again with the dive of the day, a back 3.5 somersaults in tuck that was awarded four perfect 10s and a total of 97.35. Another spectacular final round saw the Chinese prodigy secure the gold medal with a score of 86.40, to give her an overall total of 436.25. Chen Yuxi secured silver with 427.80, while Spendolini-Sirieix took her second medal of the event, a podium in bronze with 377.10. China finished on top in men’s artistic swimming event as well with Yang Shuncheng taking gold in men’s solo technical. The 16-year-old Yang earned gold with the final swim of the men’s event, totalling 246.4766 points. He edged Italy’s Giorgio Minisini (245.3166), with the bronze going to Colombia’s Gustavo Sanchez (231.0000). Artistic swimming is split into 11 medal-winning opportunities at the world championships. There are only two events on the Olympic programme, duet and team. Men have competed in artistic swimming at the world championships since 2015, when the sport was still known as synchronised swimming. They are eligible for the Olympics for the first time in Paris.  

Sheikh Joaan Launches World Aquatics Championships - Doha 2024

DOHA, February 05, 2024 -  (QNA) - HE President of Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani officially launched on Sunday the World Aquatics Championships - Doha 2024 at the Aspire Dome. Held for the first time in the Middle East, from Feb. 2 to 18, the World Aquatics Championships - Doha 2024 will feature 2,600 athletes representing 201 countries. The opening ceremony was attended by HE Vice Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al-Thani, HE President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Dr. Thomas Bach, President of the World Aquatics Dr. Husain Al Musallam, and a number of Their Excellencies sheikhs, ministers, sports leaders, World Aquatics officials, and guests of the World Aquatics Championships - Doha 2024. The ceremony featured paintings reflecting Qatar's sea heritage, performances of the six water games included in the World Aquatics Championships - Doha 2024 competitions, as well as artistic segments. Before the official launch of the World Aquatics Championships - Doha 2024 by HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani, speeches were delivered by HE Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) and Vice Chairperson of the Organizing Committee of the World Aquatics Championships - Doha 2024 Jassim bin Rashid Al Buainain, as well as the President of the World Aquatics Dr. Al Musallam. Al Buainain expressed his great joy at this gathering which includes an elite group of world champions in water sports and his pleasure to welcome Qatar's guests to this prominent sporting event that is being held for the first time in the Middle East and will decide the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics qualifications. Qatar has always prioritized sport given its role in achieving human development, building bridges of communication, enhancing rapprochement and understanding between peoples, and leaving a sustainable legacy for millions of young people in the region and the world, His Excellency added. His Excellency said that their efforts have been successful in achieving QOC's vision of making Qatar a pioneering nation that brings the world together through sustainable sports development. Since winning the honor of hosting, Qatar has taken the initiative to make intensive efforts for organizing a major event under the guidance of its wise leadership and has spared no effort to ensure its success and provide an unforgettable experience for all its visitors from all over the world, Al Buainain pointed out. President of the World Aquatics Dr. Al Musallam praised Qatar's efforts in hosting a special edition of the World Aquatics Championships and highlighted its large participation. Dr. Al Musallam also expressed his pleasure to be here in Doha with the participation of more than 200 countries represented by 2,600 male and female athletes in six different water sports, in addition to the participation of more than 3,000 participants in the World Masters Championships. President of the World Aquatics thanked Qatar for its great efforts in hosting this global event, stating that they are confident that it will provide the athletes - who are eager to compete - with the best possible conditions. The World Aquatics Championships - Doha 2024 includes the sports of swimming, diving, water polo, synchronized swimming, open water swimming, and high diving. Participants will have the opportunity to qualify for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. The competitions will be held in three main locations: Aspire Dome, Hamad Aquatic Centre, and Old Doha Port. Aspire Dome will host swimming, synchronize swimming and water polo competitions, while diving competitions will be held at Hamad Aquatic Centre, and open water swimming and high diving will be in Old Doha Port.  

Rasovszky holds off Olivier challenge to win 10km open water gold in Doha

Doha : Hungary’s Kristof Rasovszky held off a charging Marc-Antoine Olivier of France on the final lap of the men’s 10km to win the gold medal at 1:48:21.2 while Olivier won the silver at 1:48:23.6. Rasovszky, having already qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games from his Worlds silver last year, had the monkey off his back on Sunday morning at the World Aquatics Championships – Doha 2024 in the old Doha Port as he was getting in valuable race practice against some of the best in the world six months before the big race in Paris later this year.  “I wanted the gold, so I wasn’t coming here just to swim this again and again,” Rasovszky said. “I was talking with my wife and realized that in 10k I only got silver medals until now, it was silver or nothing for me in this distance. So I wanted to win something different this time.” This is Olivier’s first medal at the World Aquatics Championships since winning silver in the 10km at the 2019 Gwangju Worlds. “There was a lot of pressure because the Olympic Games are happening in my country, so before the race I wanted to be sure that I would qualify,” Olivier said. “Today I realized that I could win a medal, too, so I’m double as happy. I was extra motivated because I knew that all my family and friends can come to see me participate in Paris. It gave me more energy.” Great Britain’s Hector Pardoe won a surprising bronze medal at 1:48:29.2 for the first major medal of his career. Pardoe previously won a bronze in the 5km at the 2016 World Juniors as he improved his 10th place finish from the World Championships in Fukuoka last year.  “I think I thrive in conditions like this,” Pardoe said. Qualifying spots were on the line for the 10K today as Olivier officially qualified for his third Olympics today at age 27, and Pardoe qualified for his second Games at age 22. “My first Olympic experience in Tokyo was kind of a bad one and I had to learn a lot about my confidence,” Pardoe said. “To just come here, win a medal and qualify for my second Olympic Games and hopefully continue down the path of redemption is really exciting." China's as Wang Zongyuan and Long Daoyi successfully defended their men's 3m synchro title in Doha, yesterday. The pair totalled 442.41, finishing almost 60 points clear of their rivals as they won in emphatic fashion. Wang, who won Olympic gold with Xie Siyi, claimed his seventh world crown after he completed the individual and synchro 3m double in Fukuoka last July. Giovanni Tocci and Lorenzo Marsaglia of Italy took silver with 384.24 and secured the first of four Paris 2024 Olympic quota places on offer at the event with Wang and Long having done so last year. Spain's Adrian Abadia and Nicolas Garcia also obtained an Olympic quota after scoring 383.28 to claim bronze. Rodrigo Diego and Osmar Olvera were just four-hundredths of a point back in fourth for Mexico with Ukraine's Oleg Kolodiy and Danylo Konovalov also securing Olympic quota berths in sixth place. Last year's runners-up Jack Laugher and Anthony Harding were in third place after five dives, but their last effort was well short of their best and they had to settle for fifth. The British pair had already obtained a Olympic quota place.