{"id":48617,"date":"2026-09-29T02:19:53","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T02:19:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/?p=48617"},"modified":"2026-09-29T02:25:27","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T02:25:27","slug":"uae-athlete-mariam-sets-new-asian-games-mark-on-way-to-gold-medal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/29\/uae-athlete-mariam-sets-new-asian-games-mark-on-way-to-gold-medal\/","title":{"rendered":"UAE Athlete Mariam Sets New Asian Games Mark on Way to Gold Medal."},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Mariam Kareem Makes History With Asian Games Gold for UAE<\/h2>
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Mariam Kareem produced a remarkable performance on her Asian Games debut, securing the UAE\u2019s first gold medal of the competition while setting a new Games record in the women\u2019s 400m hurdles.<\/p>

The 18-year-old Emirati athlete stormed across the finish line in 54.31 seconds in the final in Nagoya on Monday, surpassing the previous Asian Games record and establishing herself as one of the UAE\u2019s standout young sporting talents.<\/p>

Kareem finished ahead of Kazakhstan\u2019s Adelina Zems, who claimed silver after recording 54.58 seconds, while India\u2019s Vithya Ramraj secured bronze with a time of 54.75 seconds.<\/p>

The victory marked a significant milestone for both Kareem and the UAE, coming on the athlete\u2019s first appearance at the continental Games.<\/p>

Kareem had already shown strong form during the qualifying rounds. In Sunday\u2019s heat, she delivered a personal-best performance of 55.14 seconds to comfortably secure her place in the final.<\/p>

She then improved her time substantially when it mattered most, producing a 54.31-second run in the medal race to claim the title and rewrite the Games record.<\/p>

The victory also represented the UAE\u2019s second medal of the ongoing Asian Games. Sulaiman Abdulrahman had earlier won silver in the men\u2019s 400m final.<\/p>

A rising star in UAE athletics<\/h2>

Kareem\u2019s latest success adds to an impressive list of achievements despite her young age.<\/p>

Earlier this year, she captured gold at the Asian Under-20 Championships in Hong Kong, underlining her position among the leading young athletes in the region.<\/p>

She also enjoyed a memorable campaign at the Asian Under-18 Championships in Dammam last year, where she won two gold medals.<\/p>

Kareem completed the double by taking first place in both the 200m and 400m hurdles events.<\/p>

Her progression continued into the senior continental stage, where she made an immediate impact during her first Asian Games appearance.<\/p>

The 400m hurdles final in Nagoya showcased her ability to combine speed with technical precision. She maintained her rhythm throughout the race and produced a decisive finish to stay ahead of her closest challengers.<\/p>

Her 54.31-second performance secured the UAE\u2019s first gold medal of the Games and established a new record for the event.<\/p>

The result also added another significant achievement to Kareem\u2019s rapidly developing athletics career.<\/p>

Officials praise historic performance<\/h2>

Senior UAE sports officials were present to witness Kareem\u2019s victory.<\/p>

Faris Mohammed Al Mutawa, Secretary General of the UAE Olympic Committee, attended the final along with Major General Dr Mohammed Abdullah Al Murr, a member of the UAE Olympic Committee\u2019s board and President of the UAE Athletics Federation.<\/p>

Jamila Abdulrahman, a member of the UAE Athletics Federation\u2019s board, was also present as Kareem completed her record-breaking run.<\/p>

Al Murr praised the young athlete\u2019s performance, highlighting the significance of winning the UAE\u2019s first gold medal at the Games while also setting a new record.<\/p>

He said Kareem\u2019s achievement demonstrated the emergence of a promising Emirati athlete capable of competing at an increasingly high level.<\/p>

According to Al Murr, Kareem\u2019s 54.31-second run also represented the world\u2019s fastest Under-20 time of 2026, adding another notable statistic to her Asian Games triumph.<\/p>

He described the performance as evidence of the potential within UAE athletics and said the result could provide a foundation for Kareem to compete at major international events in the future.<\/p>

Support for national sporting talent<\/h2>

Al Murr also linked Kareem\u2019s achievement to the wider support available for sport in the UAE.<\/p>

He said the success reflected the country\u2019s continued efforts to identify and develop national sporting talent.<\/p>

The athletics federation president noted that investment in young athletes and sustained support for national sports programmes were helping create opportunities for Emirati competitors to perform on international stages.<\/p>

He added that results such as Kareem\u2019s Asian Games gold medal could contribute to the UAE\u2019s broader ambition of competing for podium finishes at future World Championships and Olympic Games.<\/p>

For Kareem, the victory provides another important step in a career that has already produced several major junior titles.<\/p>

Strong start before the final<\/h2>

Kareem entered the final after making a strong impression in the qualifying stage.<\/p>

Her 55.14-second performance in the heat on Sunday represented a personal best at the time and secured her progression to the medal race.<\/p>

The athlete then produced an even faster performance in the final, cutting more than three-tenths of a second from her qualifying time.<\/p>

The improvement allowed her to finish in 54.31 seconds and establish the new Games record.<\/p>

Zems followed in 54.58 seconds to take the silver medal, while Ramraj completed the podium with 54.75 seconds.<\/p>

The closely contested times demonstrated the quality of the final, with all three medal winners finishing within less than half a second of one another.<\/p>

Kareem\u2019s ability to improve when competing for the medals ultimately gave her the advantage.<\/p>

UAE’s medal campaign continues<\/h2>

Kareem\u2019s gold medal was the UAE\u2019s second medal of the ongoing Asian Games, following Sulaiman Abdulrahman\u2019s silver in the men\u2019s 400m.<\/p>

The country entered the Games looking to build on its previous performances at the continental event.<\/p>

At the 2022 Asian Games, the UAE won 20 medals, including five gold.<\/p>

The latest success gives the UAE delegation another opportunity to build on that record as athletes continue competing across different disciplines.<\/p>

Kareem\u2019s achievement could also provide momentum for other members of the national team as they pursue medals in their respective events.<\/p>

Archery results<\/h2>

Elsewhere in the UAE delegation, archers also competed in the individual compound events.<\/p>

Jumana Al Najjar progressed to the round of 16 in the women\u2019s individual compound competition after defeating Afghanistan\u2019s Fatima Sadat Sadr 140-137.<\/p>

Her run ended in the following round when she faced South Korea\u2019s Park Jungyun.<\/p>

Park won the contest 148-140, bringing Al Najjar\u2019s individual campaign to an end.<\/p>

In the men\u2019s individual compound competition, Sultan Al Menhali was eliminated in the round of 32 after losing 148-139 to China\u2019s Liu Jinyi.<\/p>

Abdullah Al Mansoori also exited at the same stage. He was defeated 147-141 by South Korea\u2019s Choi Yonghee.<\/p>

Although the archers were unable to advance further, their participation added to the UAE\u2019s representation across the Games programme.<\/p>

Shooting and padel<\/h2>

In the trap shooting event, Sheikh Mohammed bin Dalmook Al Maktoum recorded 95 targets after four rounds.<\/p>

Yahya Suhail Al Muhairi finished the same stage with 90 targets.<\/p>

The UAE also faced disappointment in padel, where Fatima Shahdour and Maryam Al Hashemi were defeated in their doubles match.<\/p>

Despite those results, the day ultimately belonged to Kareem, whose performance on the athletics track delivered the UAE\u2019s first gold medal of the Games.<\/p>

A significant milestone for Kareem<\/h2>

Winning a continental title at the age of 18 represents another major step in Kareem\u2019s development.<\/p>

Her latest result follows the gold medals she won at the Asian Under-18 Championships and the Asian Under-20 Championships.<\/p>

The sequence of achievements shows a progression from junior competition to the senior Asian Games stage.<\/p>

Her victory in Nagoya was particularly significant because it combined a gold medal with a Games record.<\/p>

The 54.31-second performance also marked a substantial improvement from her 55.14-second personal best in the qualifying round.<\/p>

The ability to produce her fastest run of the competition in the final allowed her to move ahead of Zems and Ramraj and secure the title.<\/p>

The result also gives Kareem a new benchmark as she continues her athletics career.<\/p>

Looking ahead<\/h2>

Kareem\u2019s victory is expected to add confidence to the UAE delegation as the Games continue.<\/p>

Her performance provides an example of the progress being made by young Emirati athletes who have moved through regional and continental junior competitions before competing at senior level.<\/p>

The UAE will now look to its other athletes to continue the medal campaign across the remaining events.<\/p>

The country\u2019s previous Asian Games record includes 20 medals from the 2022 edition, five of them gold.<\/p>

With Kareem having already added another gold to the UAE\u2019s medal tally, attention will turn to the remaining competitors and their respective events.<\/p>

For the teenager herself, the Asian Games debut could become one of the defining early moments of her career.<\/p>

She entered the competition with an impressive junior record and emerged from her first senior continental appearance with a gold medal and a Games record.<\/p>

Her performance also placed her name among the leading young athletes in the competition and provided another indication of her potential in the 400m hurdles.<\/p>

Kareem\u2019s run in Nagoya was built around a combination of pace, control and technique. She maintained her composure in a competitive field before producing the fastest time of the final.<\/p>

Her 54.31 seconds proved enough to finish ahead of Zems and Ramraj and secure the top position.<\/p>

The result also gave the UAE its first gold medal of the Games.<\/p>

As the rest of the UAE contingent continues its campaign, Kareem\u2019s achievement provides an early highlight for the delegation.<\/p>

Her success follows years of progress at junior level and represents the latest stage in her development as an international athlete.<\/p>

For UAE athletics, the performance offers another notable result from a young national competitor, while for Kareem, it adds an Asian Games title and record to an already impressive collection of junior achievements.<\/p>

With more events still to come, the UAE will continue its pursuit of medals across the Games programme, building on its previous record of five gold medals and 20 medals overall at the 2022 Asian Games.<\/p><\/div><\/section>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

UAE athlete Mariam delivered a record-breaking performance at the Asian Games, surpassing the previous continental mark on her way to securing the gold medal and adding another notable achievement to the country\u2019s growing success on the international sporting stage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":44577,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"post_template":[],"top_category":[],"class_list":["post-48617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uae","pmpro-has-access"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48617","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48617"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48617\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48622,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48617\/revisions\/48622"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44577"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48617"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48617"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48617"},{"taxonomy":"post_template","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_template?post=48617"},{"taxonomy":"top_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/top_category?post=48617"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}