Swimming: Egyptian butterfly Farida Osman (Photo: facebook.com/farida.osman.official/)
Another championship, another medal. Swimmer Farida Osman further enhanced her reputation as one of Egypt's best ever swimmers after claiming the bronze medal in the women's 50m butterfly event at the World Championship, which was held in South Korea's Gwangju in July.
Osman continued from where she left off in Budapest in 2017, when she also won a bronze medal in the same 50m butterfly event.
"Thank you for your messages of support. I'm very happy that I made you and Egypt proud of me," Osman said in a video message to her fans on her Facebook page.
The 24-year-old also won the gold medal in the 50m freestyle and silver in the100m freestyle events at the African Games in Morocco in August.
In 2020, there will be an even bigger target as Osman will be eyeing her first ever Olympic medal in Tokyo, which will mark her third participation in the Games.
"I promise all the Egyptians that I will do my best during the preparation camps in the upcoming period, in order to achieve the dream of winning an Olympic medal at Tokyo Olympics 2020," Othman told local media after winning bronze medal at the World Swimming Championships.
Her first Olympic appearance was in 2012 in London when she was only 17. She finished 41st in the 50m freestyle.
Four years later in Rio de Janeiro, Osman finished 18th in the 50m freestyle and qualified for the semis in the 100m butterfly event, where she ended 5th in her heat and 12th overall with a time of 58.26, setting an African record in the process.
With Osman's speciality, the 50m butterfly event, not included in the Olympic Games, she will have a shot at an Olympic medal in the 100m butterfly.
"Egypt now possesses the best swimming team in its history. We are winning a lot of medals and we are eager to make more achievements in the future," she said.
"I'll travel to the United States to prepare for the Olympic Games."
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