Emirati athlete Mariam Kareem secured a place in the semifinals of the women's hurdles event at the World Athletics U20 Championships in the US, after finishing first in her qualifying heat and leading the overall qualification standings.
Kareem, the recipient of the Best Asian Female Under-18 Athlete award, delivered a composed and technically strong performance throughout the event at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
The UAE Athletics Federation praised her performance, describing it as a reflection of her steady progress and competitive readiness at the international level, adding that she is among the leading contenders as the championship enters its next stage.
Kareem finished ahead of Germany's Rebekka Feirle and Romania's Alexandra Ștefania in the qualifying round.
The semifinals are scheduled to take place on Sunday.
Leading the way 👣
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) August 6, 2026
🇦🇪‘s Mariam Kareem qualifies fastest for the women’s 400m hurdles semifinals in 57.87, just 0.02 ahead of 🇩🇪’s Rebekka Feirle 🤏
The battle is only getting started.#WorldAthleticsU20 pic.twitter.com/gxem35j189
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