Gallery Highlight: Four Decades of Qatar at the Olympics

Thousands of athletes will descend on the French capital Paris this summer, to partake in what is considered a milestone achievement for sportspeople in any discipline – a chance to take an Olympic medal home.

Under the official slogan ‘Games Wide Open’, symbolising a more responsible and inclusive games, many Olympic firsts are set to make history this year.

Breakdancing, or breaking, will feature for the first time as a sport, in a bid to attract younger competitors and audiences to the Games. In a milestone for gender equality in sports, an equal number of male and female athletes will partake in the Games. The largest refugee Olympic team to date will also take part in Paris 2024; the team’s third appearance in the games.

With Qatar’s growing prominence as a sporting leader and host, its aspiration to host the 2036 Games comes as no secret or surprise. After its unprecedented success as the first Arab nation to host the FIFA World Cup 2022, Qatar now aims to become the first country in the Middle East to host the Olympics and Paralympics .

This year marks the fourth decade of Qatar’s participation in the Olympics – a journey that began in 1984, studded with athletic potential and success.

In 1992, middle-distance runner Mohammed Suleiman clinched Qatar’s first ever Olympic medal, winning the bronze in the 1500 metre race. His bronze medal is currently in Paris as part of the travelling exhibition Olympism: More Than a Dream, on view until 25 August. Suleiman went on to represent Qatar in two more Olympics, breaking multiple Asian records in the process.

The Tokyo 2020 Games, which were postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, also saw Qatari athletic prowess at its best, with not one, but two Olympic golds coming home. The first belongs to weightlifter Fares Ibrahim, who cleared his peers by a whopping 15kg of weight across all lifts, taking home gold.

The second gold medal for Qatar made history in another way when high jumper Mutaz Barshim and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi, after an exhausting two hour-long competition agreed to share the title. Barshim and Tamberi had both recorded clearances of 2.37m and in a moment of true sportsmanship, Barshim asked if they could have two golds. It was the first joint Olympic podium in athletics since 1912.

Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami depicted the champions in the colourful portrait seen above, with their joint gold medals.

These are just a few of the inspiring Olympic stories featured in the galleries at 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum. Plan your visit today to explore more highlights.

And in the meantime, go team!