18-year-old Emirati sprinter and hurdler Mariam Kareem made history for the UAE at the 2026 Asian Games, winning the women’s 400m hurdles final in a Games-record time of 54.31 seconds in Nagoya on Monday.
A Record-Breaking Final
The 18-year-old had already qualified for the final as the fastest runner, clocking a personal best of 55.14 seconds. She then went even faster in the final, cutting nearly a second off her previous mark to secure the UAE’s first athletics gold of the Games.
Kareem finished ahead of Kazakhstan’s Adelina Zems, who took silver in 54.58 seconds, while India’s Vithya Ramraj claimed bronze in 54.75 seconds.
A New Asian Games Record
Kareem’s 54.31-second run also set a new Asian Games record in the women’s 400m hurdles, surpassing the previous mark set by Bahrain’s Kemi Adekoya in Hangzhou in 2023.
Her victory follows the UAE’s first medal of the Games in athletics. Sulaiman Abdulrahman won silver in the men’s 400m after finishing in 44.99 seconds.
Another Milestone for Kareem
Born in 2008, Kareem has quickly made her mark on the international athletics scene. She has competed at the Asian Championships and reached the top eight at the World U20 Championships.
She entered the Asian Games after setting a UAE national under-20 record of 56.27 seconds in August. Her latest performance now adds an Asian Games gold and a Games record to her growing list of achievements.
Kareem’s Asian Games triumph marks another major step in her fast-rising career. At just 18, the UAE hurdler has already set national and continental records, and her latest gold signals that she is becoming one of the country’s athletes to watch on the international stage.
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