FILE PHOTO: Athletics - Diamond League - Stockholm - Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden - June 2, 2024 Algeria's Djamel Sedjati in action during the Men's 800m Anders Wiklund/TT News Agency via REUTERS
(Reuters) - Algeria is hoping the support of the millions of French people who have their roots in the North African country will make the Paris Olympics as good as a home Games for their team in July and August.
World championship silver medallist Djamel Sedjati, who carries the torch for the strong tradition of Algerian middle-distance running, will again be the most high-profile medal hopeful as he looks to make up for his Tokyo heartbreak.
Algeria took 41 athletes, including 13 women, to the Japanese capital three years ago to compete in 14 sports but Sedjati and steeplechaser Bilal Tabti failed COVID-19 tests on arrival and were ruled out of the Games.
Sedjati's time of one minute, 43.23 seconds in the 800 metres at the Stockholm Diamond League last month was the fifth best in the world this year, making him a real chance to add to the 17 medals Algerians have won since their first Olympics in 1964.
Four of Algeria's five gold Olympic medals have come in middle distance running through Taoufik Makhloufi, Noureddine Morceli, Hassiba Boulmerka and Nouria Merah-Benida.
Kheireddine Barbari, the head of the Algerian delegation at the Paris Olympics, told Reuters that medal hopes in Paris were not limited to the athletics track.
"As you know, the Olympic Games are the strongest global sporting competition and it is difficult to predict the medals and their colours," he said.
"Algeria has champions who have the qualities and traditions of appearing on podiums, such as in boxing and athletics as well as gymnastics.
"Preparation programmes are going 100% according to plans, and we firmly believe that our athletes will give their best to honour the national flag."
Barbari expects the team to exceed the size of that for Tokyo and the possible addition of a couple of swimmers would take the number of sports up to 15.
Before Algeria first competed as an independent nation in Tokyo in 1964, their athletes represented France with Boughera El Ouafi (1928) and Alain Mimoun (1956) winning Olympic marathon golds for the colonial power.
The link between the two countries has remained strong since independence and more than six million French people have Algerian heritage.
"This edition of the Games will be exceptional for Algerians because of the large community in France, which will be very supportive to our champions in all disciplines," Barbari added.
"Algeria has made all arrangements to launch a guest house not far from the Olympic Village, which will be a focal point of communication between our champions and the Algerian community in France.
"There will be also cultural, sports and community programs to strengthen the bonds of friendship with the participating countries."
(Reporting by Ashraf Hamed Atta, editing by Nick Mulvenney and Peter Rutherford)
