Nafi Mersal

A specialist in the 400 metres, track athlete Nafi Mersal was Egyptian national champion in that event in 1979, 1982 and 1983, and was also the 200 metres champion in the latter year, having been national runner-up in 1979. He was selected to represent his country in the 400 metres at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, where he was eliminated in round one. He had competed previously at the 1979 Mediterranean Games, where he set a national record in that event and placed sixth overall. The following year he set an Egyptian national record in the 4x400 metres relay, alongside Ahmed Abdelhalim and the non-Olympians Rafik Abdel Rahab and H. K. Ahmed, one that was still standing as of 2022. He retired from active competition shortly thereafter and turned to coaching, ending up with Qatar’s Al-Sadd Sports Club in the mid-2000s. Unfortunately, his career was cut short when he died suddenly of a heart attack in October 2006, at the age of only 46.

Personal Best: 400 – 46.08 (1983).