The Indiana men will not have the world’s best distance freestyler at their disposal this season.
IU head coach Ray Looze recently provided SwimSwam with an update on the status of Ahmed Hafnaoui, confirming that the Tunisian superstar will not compete for the Hoosiers this season.
“We’re really proud of what we accomplished with him last year,” Looze said. “We wish him nothing but success in the future. I mean that.”
Hafnaoui started competing with Indiana in the NCAA in the fall of 2023, one year after he arrived in Bloomington.
The Tokyo Olympic champion in the men’s 400 freestyle, Hafnaoui was expected to begin collegiate competition in 2022-23, but was ruled a partial qualifier academically and sat out for the season.
However, he did train at Indiana and found remarkable success, winning a pair of World Championship titles in the men’s 800 free (7:37.00) and 1500 free (14:31.54) while earning silver in the 400 free (3:40.70), producing some of the fastest swims in history.
In November, word broke that Hafnaoui had left campus in Bloomington and was training with The Swim Team (TST) in California, having raced just two meets for the Hoosiers.
Hafnaoui, who turned 21 in December, has not competed since Oct. 25, when he produced multiple victories for Indiana in a double dual with Auburn and Mizzou.
He was entered to compete at the U.S. Open in December, but scratched due to illness.
Im very curious to know what TST really can do for Ahmed over what he had going at Indiana given how incredible his 2023 Worlds was. Wishing him all the best of course, hoping it works out for the better for him and we see more insane performances from him.
TST: Marwan El Kamash (top 10 at Worlds), Will Gallant, David Johnston, Michael Brinnegar…
IU: ???
IU: Ahmed Hafnaoui
Yes of course I’m aware of the distance ensembles being put together there, but to be fair most of these names are only domestically successful and have yet to put up anything notable in LCM, and most of my point is simply that the training methods, groups or environment or what-have-you at IU was clearly effective for him given his time drops. Not at all a diss to the guys at TST or anything I just have some trepidation about these kinds of decisions especially given the success he’s already been having.
The facility isn’t everything. The most important thing is to find an environment in which you feel comfortable. And if that wasn’t IU for him then it’s good that he left.
No classes, winter sunshine, beautiful California landscapes, happiness…..
He better still be taking online classes if he’s here on a student visa.
is he still there tho?
There are restrictions regarding online classes and student visas.
Couldn’t he just walk back over from Mexico?
He’s from 🇹🇳
A lot of people coming across the southern border aren’t from Mexico. That was part of the joke.
That’s…..not a good joke
As someone who moved abroad at 17 to a country that was very, very different from the one I’m originally from, I understand that it can be hard to try and find a good fit. So, if he’s got friends in California and the training environment is right for him, I think it’s a good idea to go there instead.
Having said that, I can also imagine that the time and effort that goes into recruiting international students is probably quite substantial and it’s likely frustrating when they then decide to throw in the towel after a year or less.
Either way, I hope he’s happy with his situation now. I haven’t been this excited for the distance… Read more »
😭😭😭💀💀💀💀
IU fans and old heads that were alive for the glory years in the 70s in shambles rn
Schubert recruited him to SoCal. Promised him $$$. He won’t be back at Indiana.
Schubert is a traitor and a snake himself.
This is the most ignorant post ever! Stupid people that post falsehoods only make SwimSwam look bad.
Well, the road is clear for Sarkany… that being said, it would have been fun to watch him throw down some monstrous yards swims in the 500 and 1650.
“I mean that”
Same guy who has been trying to ruin his visa statues in US 🤣 sure Ray …
Ray Looze seems very disingenuous.
He is.
He very well could be, and doesn’t have a great track record of wishing the best for people who are no longer benefiting him, but isn’t this a Looze-lose situation for Ray? Think the only thing the peanut gallery would take at face value would be if he said I think it was a mistake and he would be better off at IU.
Piggy-backing on this, what else is Ray supposed to say?
Saying nothing looks a lot worse than wishing someone the best of luck (whether it’s sincere or not) and the IU staff and program was already taking enough heat for Hafnaoui’s uncertainty.
Disingenuous?
He’s probably pissed (rightfully so). He could have aired him out here and he didn’t.