Yazan Al-Bawwab
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| Nationality | Palestinian | |||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 30 October 1999 Saudi Arabia | |||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| Updated on 29 July 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||
Yazan Al-Bawwab OLY[1] (Arabic: يزن البواب; born 30 October 1999) is a Saudi-born Palestinian and Italian swimmer. He competed for Palestine at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Early and personal life
[edit]Al-Bawwab was born in Saudi Arabia to Palestinian parents with Italian citizenship, which they acquired after a long stay in the country: his father Rashad had moved to Genoa as a refugee and had graduated in engineering at the local university. Al-Bawwab thus holds dual Palestinian and Italian citizenship, and calls himself "half Italian". He grew up in Dubai, United Emirates, where his father had opened a furniture business.[2][3][4] Al-Bawwab lived in Ottawa, Canada, where he graduated in aerospace and mechanical engineering from Carleton University, and currently lives in the Netherlands, while pursuing a master's degree in international sports management at the University of London.[1][2][3][5][6]
Swimming career
[edit]Al-Bawwab was one of five Palestinians who represented Palestine in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021. He competed in the men's 100 metre freestyle, coming in 66th out of 71 swimmers.[7]
As of 2021[update] he held the Palestinian record in both the 50 and 100 metre freestyle events.[3] He is also the Arab champion in the 50 and 100 metre backstroke after winning both events at the 2023 Arab Games.[8]
He was selected to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 100 metre backstroke,[9] where he finished 43rd out of 46 in the heats.[10]
Other ventures
[edit]As of 2023,[update] Al-Bawwab was an IOC Young Leader and a FISU ambassador for Canada; he is a member of the Palestine Olympic Committee Athletes' Commission and the founder of the Palestinian Olympians Association. In late 2023, he launched the SwimHope Palestine project, aimed at providing young children in Palestinian refugee communities with basic swimming and life-saving skills.[1][6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Yazan Al Bawwab, OLY". IOC Young Leaders. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ a b Pezzato, Aglaia (15 February 2024). "Yazan Al Bawwab, atleta palestinese: 'Voglio rappresentare chi non ha voce'". SwimSwam (in Italian). Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ a b c Sauvageau, Flavie (12 July 2021). "Un membre de l'équipe olympique palestinienne de natation s'entraîne à Trois-Rivières". Radio Canada (in Canadian French). Retrieved 14 December 2022.
- ^ Borkakoty, Rituraj (26 July 2024). "From Palestine to Paris: Dubai-based swimmer shares his Olympic story". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ "Swimming: AL BAWWAB Yazan". Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
- ^ a b "Yazan Al Bawwab". Athlete 365. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ "Yazan Al-Bawwab". Olympedia.
- ^ "Yazab AL BAWWAB". World Aquatics. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ "6 athletes in Palestine team for Paris Olympics". The Manila Times. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ Hopquin, Benoît (29 July 2024). "JO 2024 : Yazan Al Bawwab, nageur palestinien en mission". Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 30 July 2024.
