Djibouti
Djibouti, ar, جيبوتي ', french: link=no, Djibouti, so, Jabuuti officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red ...
made its
Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaire ...
début at the
2012 Summer Paralympics
The 2012 Summer Paralympics, branded as the London 2012 Paralympic Games, were an international multi-sport parasports event held from 29 August to 9 September 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. They were the 14th Summer Paralympic Gam ...
in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
,
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, from August 29 to September 9. The country was represented by a single athlete in
middle distance running
Middle-distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle-distance event. The 15 ...
, 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.
Background
Djibouti débuted in the Paralympics during these 2012 Games. The event was held from August 29 to September 9. The country had one athlete compete, in the men's 1500 meters T46.
Athletics
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.
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.
Hassan said, "I thought of stopping, but I kept going because I wanted to finish."
See also
*
Summer Paralympic disability classification
*
Djibouti at the Paralympics
*
Djibouti at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Djibouti competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, from July 27 to August 12, 2012. This was the nation's seventh appearance at the Olympics.
Five athletes were selected to the team, competing in athletics, judo, swimming, and table tenni ...
References
{{NPCin2012SummerParalympics
Nations at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
Paralympics
The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaired ...