Algerian discus champion Osama Khnoussi has decided to retire at the age of 25 after facing insults following his elimination from the Paris 2024 Olympics on Monday. The gold medalist from the African Athletics Championships in January sent an emotional message via his Facebook page, announcing the end of his career in discus throw.
According to Khnoussi, he was deeply affected by the insults he received after being eliminated in the first round of the Olympics following three failed attempts. His message stated: "It is shameful for you to insult my mother," and he added, "The adversaries meet before God, and Allah is sufficient for me."
The representative of Algeria concluded: "Thank God... thank you to everyone who supported me in my sports journey, and today I decided that this will be my last competition."
This announcement came just hours after he bid farewell to the Paris Olympics following his exit from the first round of the discus throw competition. Social media users reacted to Khnoussi's decision, expressing their sorrow and condemning the insults he faced. One commenter said, "I hope you reconsider your decision; those who insulted you represent only themselves," while another added, "You have proven your capabilities in international competitions, and your elimination today is not the end of the world."
Another user drew a parallel between Khnoussi's experience and that of boxer Iman Khalef, who faced accusations of being "transgender." The user stated, "We cannot condemn the injustice faced by Iman and then practice it ourselves; what you (addressing Osama Khnoussi) experienced is one of the unacceptable forms of injustice."
It is worth mentioning that Osama Khnoussi set a new national record in the discus throw in January, with a throw of 63.43 meters during an international athletics gathering held in Budapest, Hungary, which garnered him first place. This achievement improved his previous personal record of 62.95 meters set during an earlier international event in Hungary, as well as a prior record of 61.78 meters set on June 17, 2023, at the international meeting in the Hungarian city of Vasperem.
