JEDDAH, 28 November 2004 — “I’ll do my best and may God be with me,” said Saudi runner Ibrahim Khalloufa who is participating along with more than 300 international top athletes and national heroes from over 40 countries in the Red Bull Giants of Rio competition scheduled in Rio de Janeiro on Dec. 5.
“I usually practice on a daily basis and participate in most of the national sports events in order to remain physically fit,” Khalloufa said in an interview.
The athletic event in Brazil includes four breathtaking competitions ‚ beach break swimming in the Atlantic Ocean, mountain biking, speed hang gliding and sand running on the beach of Copacabana.
Khalloufa is part of the Arab team that will fight the urban jungle of Rio de Janeiro, the natural jungle of the city and the Atlantic Ocean. The team includes Lahcen Ahansal (Morocco) who takes part in sand running along with Khalloufa, Mansour Abou El-Hol (UAE) in beach break swimming and Maxime Chaaya (Lebanon) in mountain biking.
Laurent Tevenoux of France will also join the team to participate in the speed hang gliding category. This tough athletic competition will bring together several teams, each consisting of four athletes.
Speaking about the Red Bull Giants of Rio competition, Khalloufa said the Arab team would join the other teams of four athletes to fight the urban jungle of Rio de Janeiro, “which with its mountains, air, sea and shore is discovered for the first time as a perfect place on earth where each and every discipline molds into the city’s nature.” Thus, the event will not only be a challenge in terms of physical and mental demands but will also be an extraordinary experience set among the magic sites of the cultural melting pot which is Rio de Janeiro, Khalloufa added. “We’ll undoubtedly face a fierce competition with all of the professional international athletes participating in Red Bull Giants of Rio, but I hope that luck will be on our side, especially that all of the team members are expert athletes. I believe that my mere participation together with this great number of athletes will have a great impact on my sports career and will help me acquire additional expertise and benefit from the experience of the international athletes I’ll meet,” he said.
Khalloufa has been participating in sports competitions since his school days. “That enabled me to join the Triathlon Saudi National Team today. I’ve always benefited from the support of my former trainer Capt. Badr Marzouq, Algerian coach Hamid and my present trainer Nazir Ben Khalifa. All of them have always encouraged me to participate in national and regional competitions and achieve good results. My selection by Red Bull to participate in this international event is the best evidence of this continuous support.”
