Salma Al Marri sets new UAE women’s record at World Athletics U20 Championships
Suleiman Abdul Rahman narrowly misses 400m final after strong semi-final showing
EUGENE, Oregon– UAE athlete Salma Haitham Al Marri has set a new national record in the women’s hammer throw at the World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 2026 in Eugene, Oregon.
Al Marri produced a throw of 58.96 metres during the qualifying round, surpassing the previous UAE record of 58.12 metres. She finished 13th among 22 competitors, narrowly missing qualification for the final.
The record-breaking performance came against a field featuring athletes from several countries with established strength in throwing events. Al Marri finished ahead of competitors representing prominent athletics nations including Poland, Denmark and Spain.
Record mark
Rashid Naser Al Ali, a member of the Board of Directors of the UAE Athletics Federation and chairman of the National Teams Committee, said Al Marri delivered a strong competitive performance and demonstrated clear progress in both her level and technical ability.
Her latest mark represents a significant improvement on the distance she recorded last year in Slovenia. On that occasion, she threw 49.02 metres, surpassing the previous national record of 44.60 metres across the youth, junior and senior categories.
Al Marri then continued to raise the benchmark, culminating in the 58.96-metre effort in Eugene. The mark placed her just one position outside the qualifying places for the final at the global junior championships.
Al Ali said the rapid progression in Al Marri’s results underlined her status as one of the UAE’s emerging talents in throwing events. He also pointed to the significance of producing a national record at a world championship while competing against leading young athletes from different continents.
Strong showing
Al Marri is still competing in the junior category, giving her further opportunities to develop her technique and improve her performances on the international stage.
Meanwhile, UAE sprinter Suleiman Abdul Rahman also produced a strong showing in the men’s 400 metres at the championships. He finished third in his qualifying heat in 46.68 seconds to secure a place in the semi-finals.
Abdul Rahman improved his time in the semi-finals, clocking 46.27 seconds and finishing fourth in his heat. The performance left him just short of a place in the final.
Al Ali highlighted the performances of both athletes as part of the UAE national team’s campaign in Oregon, with the men’s and women’s competitors going up against some of the world’s leading young athletes.
The UAE Athletics Federation has been focusing on developing emerging athletes and building a new generation capable of competing at higher levels internationally.