Kathmandu, July 30
Nepali swimmer Alex Shah will compete today in the men’s 100-meter freestyle event at the Paris Olympics 2024. The 22-year-old athlete will participate in Heat 3 of the event, held at Paris’ La Défense Arena. Shah, along with seven other competitors in his heat, is among the total of 89 athletes vying for a spot in the finals.
Shah currently holds the national record for the 100-meter freestyle, having set a time of 52.17 seconds at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar, last February. He aims to improve upon this record in today’s competition.
Based in the United States for both his studies and training, Shah travelled to Paris to compete in the Olympics. He is a psychology student at Fordham University in New York, where he also trains with the university’s club.
Shah first gained international attention when he carried Nepal’s flag during the opening ceremony of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. During those Games, he also competed in the 100-meter freestyle, finishing with a time of 53.41 seconds.
His international debut came at the 2019 World Championships in South Korea. Since then, Shah has participated in three World Championships (2019, 2023, and 2024) and the 2022 Asian Games.
Out of the seven athletes representing Nepal in the Paris Olympics, four have already completed their challenges. Table tennis player Shyantu Shrestha, shooter Sushmita Nepal, swimmer Duana Lama, and judoka Manita Shrestha Pradhan were all eliminated in the first round.
Apart from Shah, badminton player Prince Dahal has one group stage match remaining, which he will play on Wednesday. Additionally, athletics competitor Santoshi Shrestha is travelling to Paris today to compete in the women’s marathon.
