Qatari runner Abdalelah Haroun, who received a bronze medal on the 2017 world championships, died Saturday in a visitors incident, in line with the Qatar Athletics Federation. He was 24.
“Haroun died in a car accident in Doha,” the federation’s secretary-general, Mohammed Issa al-Fadala, instructed AFP.
“He was in a rehabilitation programme after recovering from an damage (in preparation) to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.
“Qatar sports and athletics, on a global level, lost a great hero.”
The Qatar Olympic Committee additionally mourned the loss on Saturday.
“Team #Qatar sprinter and world 400m bronze medalist Abdalelah Haroun died today,” it posted on Twitter — together with a black-and-white image of the athlete holding a bouquet of flowers and the Qatari flag.
Haroun, of Sudanese origins, first represented Qatar in 2015, stealing the highlight in his early days by recording outstanding occasions over 400m.
Haroun received his world bronze in 44.48sec behind South African winner Wayde van Niekerk and Steven Gardiner of the Bahamas.
Haroun additionally received silver on the 2016 world indoor championships in Portland and gold on the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.