Djibouti made its Paralympic Games début at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, United Kingdom, from August 29 to September 9. The country was represented by a single athlete in middle distance running, their first Paralympian. Houssein Omar Hassan did poorly in his heat due to an ankle injury, and did not win a medal. Despite not winning a medal, he was cheered on by the crowd as he ran alone on the track for two laps.
| Djibouti at the 2012 Summer Paralympics | |
|---|---|
 | |
| IPC code | DJI |
| in London | |
| Competitors | 1 in 1 sport |
| Medals |
|
| Summer Paralympics appearances (overview) | |
Background edit
Djibouti débuted in the Paralympics during these 2012 Games.[1] The event was held from August 29 to September 9.[2] The country had one athlete compete, in the men's 1500 meters T46.[3]
Athletics edit
Houssein Omar Hassan, a right arm amputee, competed in the men's 1,500 metres T46 (a category for athletes with disabilities affecting the upper limbs or torso). Since he was the only Djiboutian athlete, he was the flagbearer during the opening ceremonies.[3]
Hassan suffered an ankle injury early in the race, but was determined to finish. He was cheered home by the London crowd as he finished seven minutes behind every other athlete; he ran more than two laps alone on the track after every other athlete had crossed the finish line. Hassan finished with a season best time of 11:23.50.[4][5] Hassan said, "I thought of stopping, but I kept going because I wanted to finish."[4]
| Athlete | Event | Heat | Final | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Rank | Result | Rank | ||
| Houssein Omar Hassan | Men's 1,500m T46 | 11:23.50 | 8 | did not advance | |
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "National Paralympic Committee of Djibouti". Paralympic.org. Archived from the original on April 13, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
- ^ "It's Official – London 2012 to be Biggest Paralympic Games Ever | IPC". Paralympic.org. May 21, 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
- ^ a b "Athlete Bio". Paralympic.org. Archived from the original on March 4, 2018. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
- ^ a b Chadband, Ian (September 1, 2012). "Paralympics 2012: Houssein Omar Hassan wins over hearts and minds with his brave, if slow, 1,500m performance". The Telegraph. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
- ^ "Crowds at Olympic stadium roar on hero Houssein Omar Hassan's effort". Metro. September 2, 2012. Retrieved March 3, 2018.