1:00 pm, the crowd is immense, people are getting impatient, the arrival of the national hero, the world champion is desired … On each appearance, we jostle, we turn around, he is there … Ah no, it’s just the body of security …
A deafening music, a local color of the country, plays outside under a blue sky of a sunny day in December … It is as if the natural elements were also in celebration, dressed in their most beautiful costumes, in order to welcome the return of our Mallouli Oussema champion, or as some people call it “the Mediterranean shark”.
1:10 pm, it is finally there! The disorder gives way to emotion. Accompanied by the President of the Republic and surrounded by his parents, Oussema, to the feline and safe approach, advances with a giant with the smile of the victory. And what a victory!
On December 19, he won in Dubai, after a long and slow suspense which also worried Tunisians, the gold medal of the 1500 m in the free swimming category in small pool. By achieving the best time with 14 min 24 s 16, our champion adds to his record of this world swim tour, one more medal to the other three of this championship (two bronze and one in money).
The “Mediterranean shark” defying all the obstacles on a national and international scale, was able to face all the difficulties, thus transforming his journey dotted with pitfalls with an arsenal of medals, as if the sky was raining!
Radiant with a satisfied smile, the smile of a conqueror, he addressed the journalists who swarmed in the room, specially prepared for the press conference., He told us about his realized dream, the happiness that it gave him, avoiding evoking the dark areas. He said he had set himself the victory as a goal and everything else was behind. Deploying his wings, defying the time, moving into the water, he won and deserved this gold medal.
A huge media presence has covered the event. We talked to the champion, his parents, his older brother. Emotion was the watchword.
The presidential reception, a sign of recognition to this high -level sportsman, moved more than one, especially the Mallouli parents who repeated in chorus that President Ben Ali was like a second father for their offspring.
By piercing the airwaves, Mallouli was able to make a route and win the challenge in troubled waters.
The show must go on…
