Tokyo Olympics 2020: MENA athletes returning home with medals

The Tokyo 2020 Games were declared closed on Sunday, ending two weeks of compelling action.

Despite a low-key closing ceremony to an extraordinary Olympics - mostly played out in empty venues with only athletes, team officials, and media present - sporting stars from the Middle East made history with thrilling performances and mesmerising moments.

Most notable was Tunisian swimmer Ahmed Hafnaoui's shock win in the men's 400m freestyle, whose stunned and surprised face at winning the gold was beamed worldwide and encapsulated the prevailing spirit of the Olympics.

Also exceptional was the touching moment when Qatari high jumper Mutaz Barshim and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi - after the briefest of conversations - agreed to share a gold medal, sending both into raptures.

In total, athletes from the MENA took home 42 medals, 12 of them gold.

Here's a recap of the participants from the region who returned home with medals from Tokyo 2020.

Bahrain

Kalkidan Gezahegne, silver, women's 10,000m

Egypt

Feryal Abdelaziz, gold, women's karate +61kg

Ahmed Elgendy, silver, men's individual modern pentathlon

Giana Lotfy, bronze, women's -61kg karate

Seif Eissa, bronze, men's -80kg taekwondo

Hedaya Malak, bronze, women's -67kg taekwondo

Mohamed Elsayed, bronze, men's Greco-Roman wrestling 67kg

Iran

Sajad Ganjzadeh, gold, men's +75kg karate

Javad Foroughi, gold, men's 10m air pistol

Mohammadreza Geraei, gold, men's Greco-Roman 67kg wrestling

Ali Davoudi, silver, men's +109kg weightlifting

Hassan Yazdanicharati, silver, men's 86kg freestyle wrestling

Amir Hossein Zare, bronze, men's freestyle 125kg wrestling

Mohammadhadi Saravi, bronze, men's Greco-Roman 97kg wrestling

Jordan

Saleh Elsharabaty, silver, men's -80kg taekwondo

Abdel Rahman Almasatfa, bronze, men's -67kg karate

Kuwait

Abdullah Alrashidi, bronze, men's skeet

Morocco

Soufiane El Bakkali, gold, men's 3,000m steeplechase

Qatar

Mutaz Essa Barshim, gold, men's high jump

Fares Ibrahim Elbakh, gold, men's 96kg weightlifting

Cherif Younoussane/Ahmed Tijan, bronze, men's beach volleyball

Saudi Arabia

Tareq Hamedi, silver, men's +75kg karate

Syria

Man Asaad, bronze, men's weightlifting +109kg

Tunisia

Ahmed Hafnaoui, gold, men's 400m freestyle swimming

Mohamed Khalil Jendoubi, silver, men's -58kg taekwondo