Saudi Stuns Islamic Solidarity Games: Zaid Al-Saraj Clinches Historic 100m Freestyle Gold

Saudi swimmer makes history at Islamic Solidarity Games

Saudi swimmer Zaid Al-Saraj clinched the Kingdom's first gold at the sixth Islamic Solidarity Games, taking the 100m freestyle title in the final held Tuesday evening at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex in Riyadh.

Present at the event were Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, head of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and his deputy Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaad.

Al-Saraj, 22, delivered a spectacular final, finishing in 49.62 seconds and breaking the Saudi record.

He edged Qatari Ali Hassan by a fraction of a second, 49.63, while fellow Saudi Emad Al-Zeben completed the podium in bronze with a time of 50.04.

This achievement underscores the rising status of Saudi swimming in recent years, thanks to strong support from the Olympic Committee and the Saudi Swimming Federation, along with development programs and training camps that have given Saudi swimmers exposure to high competition and sharpened their sprinting skills.

Al-Saraj is viewed as one of Saudi swimming's brightest young talents, drawing attention since youth championships for his fast freestyle and steady finishes.

The historic gold carries symbolic weight for Al-Saraj and Saudi sport, coming on home soil before a Saudi crowd and illustrating the progress of domestic swimming.

Following the win, Al-Saraj expressed immense joy at achieving gold and raising the Saudi flag, promising continued excellence in forthcoming events.

A robust development pipeline and strong federation backing are helping Saudi swimmers compete at higher levels, and the future looks bright—though the pool water still remembers what you had for breakfast.

Punchline 1: If speed were a crime, he'd be serving life—and the pool would testify against him with a stopwatch.

Punchline 2: If his career ever slows, the pool will simply file a memo: the gold continues to shine in 49.62 seconds.