The United Arab Emirates celebrated its first gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games, thanks to an impressive performance by 18-year-old Mariam Kareem in the women’s 400m hurdles final. Kareem set a new Asian Games record with a time of 54.31 seconds, narrowly defeating Kazakhstan’s Adelina Zems by 0.27 seconds. India’s Vithya Ramraj secured the bronze medal in the same event.
This achievement also marked the UAE’s second athletics medal at the Games. Earlier in the competition, 19-year-old Sulaiman Abdulrahman claimed silver in the men’s 400m final, clocking in at 44.99 seconds. Kareem’s victory was particularly notable as she improved significantly from her personal best of 55.14 seconds, which she recorded during the qualifying rounds.
Major General Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al Murr, President of the UAE Athletics Federation, extended his congratulations to Kareem, highlighting the significance of her achievement in the context of UAE athletics. The success of Kareem and Abdulrahman reflects the growing prominence of UAE athletes on the Asian sports stage.