UAE's Mariam Kareem wins gold with Asian Games record

Mariam Kareem has secured the UAE's first gold medal at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 after winning the women's 400-metre hurdles title in record-breaking fashion.

The 18-year-old Emirati athlete crossed the line in 54.31 seconds, setting a new Asian Games record and recording the world's fastest under-20 time of 2026.

Kareem finished 0.27 seconds ahead of Kazakhstan's Adelina Zems, who claimed silver in 54.58 seconds, while India's Vithya Ramraj took bronze in 54.75 seconds.

Both athletes recorded personal bests.

The gold medal takes the UAE's tally at the Games to two, following Sulaiman Abdulrahman's silver medal in the men's 400 metres.

The result also lifted the UAE six places to 24th in the overall medal standings.