Malak Ghanem marked her first appearance at the World Rowing Championships by winning Final B and finishing seventh in the world in Amsterdam.
Competing in the PR1 Women’s Single Sculls, the Egyptian para-rower completed the 2,000-metre race in 11:15.29. The conditions were far from easy, with heavy rain affecting the competition, but Ghanem kept her focus and finished the race strongly.
For her first World Championships, it was a result that gives her plenty to take forward.
A strong debut
Ghanem, 17, was in control of Final B and finished ahead of the other three competitors
She crossed the line in 11:15.29, with Italy second in 11:29.06. China followed in 12:11.80, while Poland finished in 14:24.12.
A seventh-place finish in the world is a good return from a first appearance at this level. More importantly, Ghanem now has the experience of racing at a major international event, something that should help her as she takes on bigger challenges.
Praise from El-Qamati
Sherif El-Qamati, president of the Egyptian Rowing Federation and treasurer of the Egyptian Olympic Committee, praised Ghanem after her performance.
“I am proud of what Malak Ghanem achieved at the World Championships, especially as this was her first appearance at this level,” El-Qamati said.
He believes the result is a sign that Ghanem can continue to improve and challenge for more in the years ahead.
“Finishing seventh in the world and winning Final B shows that Malak has a strong character and the ambition to achieve more in the coming years,” he said.
El-Qamati also backed the wider development of Egyptian para-rowing, saying the country has athletes capable of competing at major international competitions.
A platform for the future
The heavy rain added to the difficulty of the race, but Ghanem stayed composed and saw it through to the end.
Her result is another encouraging sign for Egyptian para-rowing, which is looking to build a stronger group of athletes for the World Championships and Paralympic Games.
There is still a lot for Ghanem to learn, but she has already shown that she can deal with the pressure of a major event and compete against more experienced rowers.
The next step will be to build on what she achieved in Amsterdam and gain more experience on the international stage.
