Olympic Gold Medalist Ahmed Hafnaoui Transfers To Florida, Returning To College Swimming

Ahmed Hafnaoui, the 2020 Olympic gold medalist in the 400 freestyle, is set to return to collegiate swimming. The 22-year-old, who entered the transfer portal in early December, confirmed to SwimSwam early this morning that he will transfer from Indiana to Florida and hopes to begin competing next season.

Hafnaoui shared that he chose Florida because “they hold both world records in the men’s and women’s distance events,” referring to Katie Ledecky, who holds the women’s 800 and 1500 world records, and Bobby Finke, who holds the men’s 1500 standard.

The future Gator is in the midst of serving a 21-month suspension for an anti-doping violation issued by the International Testing Agency (ITA). The suspension is effective from April 11, 2024, until January 10, 2026, and stems from missing three out-of-competition drug tests within a 12-month period.

Sources told SwimSwam last December that two of the missed tests occurred while Hafnaoui was training in the United States, and the third after he returned to Tunisia due to visa complications.

Because the NCAA is not a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code, it follows its own testing policies and is not necessarily bound by suspensions issued by the ITA or World Aquatics. In the past, athletes suspended by international bodies have been allowed to continue competing at the collegiate level. However, NCAA coaches who are also USA Swimming members face restrictions on working with suspended athletes, which could present administrative challenges.

Hafnaoui’s Best Times:

• 200 SCY free: 1:38.69
• 500 SCY free: 4:18.62
• 1000 SCY free: 8:55.74
• 400 LCM free: 3:40.70
• 800 LCM free: 7:37.00
• 1500 LCM free: 14:31.54

Hafnaoui swam part of the 2023-24 season at Indiana, after sitting out the 2022-2023 season due to eligibility issues, but he only competed in two meets in October for the Hoosiers before moving to California to train with The Swim Team (TST) and Mark Schubert. He ended up going back to Tunisia due to visa issues and went on to compete at the World Championships in February of last year.

At those Worlds in Doha, he didn’t final in any of his events, placing 17th in the 400 and 1500 and 18th in the 800.

Hafnaoui also swam the 400, 800, and 1500 at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka in July, where he won world titles in the 800 and 1500 while training with Indiana. His performances at that meet, reflected in his best times listed above, rank him third all-time in the 800 and 1500 and sixth all-time in the 400.

He said he decided not to compete at the 2024 Olympic Games due to his disappointing performance in Qatar and ongoing struggles with an undisclosed injury.

Between February and December of last year, before being handed the suspension, Hafnaoui began training under the guidance of Phillipe Lucas’ storied distance squad in France, where Lucas also coaches rising stars Ahmed Jaouadi and Rami Rahmouni. Hafnaoui told SwimSwam that he is currently training alone at a public pool in Tunisia.