Olympic 400-meter freestyle champion Ahmed Hafnaoui's status for Paris Games is uncertain, with Africa Aquatics saying the swimmer will not participate while his country's Olympic committee and family say he is recovering from injury and still determining his availability.
Africa Aquatics said on its website Tuesday that the 21-year-old Hafnaoui had confirmed Tunisian media reports that he would not swim at the July 26-Aug. 11 Games. AA's report said Hafnaoui had declined to resume training in the United States, where he was previously based, but did not provide details.
However, Tunisian Olympic Committee president Mehrez Boussayene told Reuters that Hafnaoui's participation in Paris has not been fully decided, adding that he has suffered an injury that requires him to rest for 45 days.
Boussayene also said Hafnaoui has many other international obligations ahead of him, calling on sports fans to "change their views of champions and treat them humanely."
"One of our duties as officials is to protect and care for athletes," he said.
Hafnaoui's mother, Amira, said her son's main focus right now is his recovery.
"Ahmed's absence from the Paris Olympics has not yet been confirmed," Amira Hafnaoui said. "Even if he is absent, Ahmed is an Olympic champion and has achieved international recognition despite his young age, and there is still a long way to go before him to achieve the best."
"The priority currently is his physical and mental health," she added.
Hafnaoui had trained in California late last year under former U.S. team coach Mark Schubert, who runs an elite distance swimming program in Orange County. However, Hafnaoui told reporters at the world championships in Doha, Qatar, in February that he had returned home to Tunisia, citing a visa issue.
In 2021 at the age of 18, Hafnaoui stunned the world by winning the 400-meter freestyle gold from Lane 8 at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics after being the slowest qualifier in the final.
He claimed the 800-meter and 1,500-meter freestyle titles at last year's world championships in Fukuoka, Japan, and was runner-up in the 400 meters behind Australia's Sam Short.
Hafnaoui failed to reach the final in all three events at the world championships in Doha.