Mashable: 17 days after bidding adieu to the Olympics, Paris came back in the spotlight on August 28 for its Paralympic Games that began at Place de la Concorde. A total of 549 medals were made up for grabs across 22 sports, in a 11 day action sequence that hit the City of Lights. The UAE delegate is being led by 14 athletes for the global sports event that will finish on September 8.

On Sunday, 20-year-old Mohammed Othman, the youngest member in the UAE’s 14-member squad, advanced to the men's 100m T34 wheelchair final after clocking 15.77 seconds to finish fourth in Heat 1. “I am honored to represent the United Arab Emirates in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games and I am proud to represent my country in this global event. God willing, we will win,” said Mohammed Othman in an Instagram post.

A post shared by MOHAMMED OTHMAN  (@p.z7iii)

In the final of the 100m wheelchair race (T34), scheduled on Monday at the Stade de France, Mohammed Othman secured fifth place, clocking a time of 15.40 seconds. Though he couldn’t score a medal for UAE, the young athlete promised to strive hard and return for the Los Angeles 2028 Games.

“I sincerely thank my team for their unwavering support in reaching the Paris Paralympics. Special thanks to my coach, Captain Abdullah Mashrawi. The best is yet to come, and I promise to prepare well for Los Angeles 2028. You've honored me, and I'll strive to always be worthy of your trust,” Othman expressed on Instagram.

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It was Thailand's Chaiwat Rattana, who claimed the gold medal and won the race in a new Paralympic record of 14.76 seconds. Tunisia's Walid Katila earned the silver medal, clocking in at 15.14 seconds, while Canada's Austin Smeenk took bronze with 15.19 seconds.