Dubai: Young Emirati gymnast Lamia Tariq Malallah Al Farsi has set her sights on a gold medal at the 2023 Youth Olympic Games (YOG).
The six-year-old student from the International School of Choueifat battled a painful knee and a bout of vomiting on Sunday to pick up her first-ever international gold medal while winning the Senior B Category competition at the 2017 Open GR Azur International Rhythmic Gymnastics Tournament held in Nice, France.
Raising the bar, Lamia was herself setting a gold medal as a priority at the 2023 YOG, to be staged at a city yet to be named by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The inaugural YOG were held in Singapore in 2010 after which the Games travelled to Nanjing, China in 2014 while the next edition will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina from October 1-12 next year. The venue for the 2023 YOG will be decided upon by the IOC at its 130th session to be held in Lima, Peru in mid-September.
“I will be too small to compete in the Youth Olympics next year. So 2023 looks a much better option for me,” Lamia told Gulf News from France.
“This gold medal has given me the confidence to look forward to even bigger challenges ahead of me. I know every athlete wants a gold medal, or any other medal, at an actual Olympic Games. But I want to first prove myself at the Youth Olympics, after which I can turn my attention to an Olympic medal,” she added.
Lamia has been doing well since the past one year after some medal-winning performances at the domestic rhythmic gymnastic competitions. In May, the student representing the Dubai Youth Olympic School trained by former world champion Ksenia Dzalaghaniya, picked up a gold medal in an actual international competition — the inaugural Dubai International Junior Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships held at Al Habtoor Indoor Complex.
“But here in France the challenge was completely different with gymnasts from more than 30 countries. The competition was tough, but my focus was to finish without any mistakes. Once I had achieved that, I knew that I was in with a chance for a medal,” Lamia disclosed.
After two gold medals from as many competitions, Lamia knows what it takes to win consistently at an international level. “My country comes first and I want to see the UAE flag flying high. It is something special to listen to the national anthem after winning gold. All this can only motivate me towards bigger goals for the future,” the young athlete said.
“For me, gymnastics is everything at this moment. I train five times a week, but I still train at home all by myself. My dad [Tariq], mum [Malak] and coach [Ksenia Dzalaghaniya] have been my support and strength, and I want to do my best to please them and make them proud of me as well,” she added.
