Aziza Sbaity, Lebanon’s fastest woman, triumphed once again in Beirut. Finishing the 200-meter race in 23.9 seconds, she celebrated her personal best and first sub-24-second finish. Her fellow runners joined in the jubilation. However, would this performance secure her a spot in the Tokyo Olympics? Holding records in multiple events, Sbaity is a strong contender for representing Lebanon.
Sbaity recently ran the 200 meters at Montpellier, France, even quicker, finishing in 23.77 seconds. Although this was a remarkable achievement, she fell just shy of the automatic qualifying standard for the Olympics by less than a second. Furthermore, her personal best in the 100 meters, 11.73 seconds, was half a second short of the required mark.
Sbaity competes with others for Lebanon’s “universalist” Olympic spot, reserved for the best athlete who did not meet the qualifying standards, and allocated by the Lebanese Olympic Committee.
With limited competitions left, Sbaity is at her peak. She recognizes the potential for improved performance when competing against top athletes in favorable conditions. Her main objective is to shatter the 200-meter record and secure her position, driven by unwavering confidence in her abilities.
Sbaity is methodical in her approach to sprinting, manually installing her starting blocks. She recognizes the importance of a powerful start for quick acceleration. Demonstrating her talent, she won the 100 meters and 200 meters at the Lebanese National Championships in her debut year of 2009, securing her spot in the Lebanese team for the Jeux de la Francophonie games in Beirut.
Driven by that memorable experience, Sbaity nurtured her ambition to represent Lebanon. Despite setbacks from hamstring syndrome between 2010 and 2014, she remained determined in pursuing international competitions. Sbaity proudly represented her country at the World Championships in Beijing (2015) and the World Indoor Championships in 2014 and 2016.
In 2018, Sbaity decided to elevate her training efforts. After completing her university studies and ending a long-term relationship, she dedicated herself fully to running, with her sights set on Tokyo 2020. Supported by her family, she left her career behind and pursued running on a full-time basis.
Sbaity’s results have been impressive, breaking the Lebanese record for the 100m and setting new records. With the Tokyo Olympics approaching, she has used the postponement to improve further, achieving personal bests.
Source: Cosmo Politian
