Motor racing: Pushed Al-Attiyah capturing for Qatari sporting immortality after Dakar Rally win

PARIS – “My story is included within the historical past books for varsity youngsters,” Nasser Al-Attiyah proudly mentioned in 2017, and with Sunday’s fifth victory within the Dakar Rally, he has assured one other chapter shall be added.

The 52-year-old shares high billing as Qatar’s most achieved sportsman with excessive jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim however it’s the latter’s Olympic gold medal – he shared the title in Tokyo in 2021 – that he would covet greater than something.

Al-Attiyah has competed in each Olympics in skeet capturing because the 1996 Video games in Atlanta, displaying the identical gritty willpower he has completed in umpteen Dakar Rallies to safe himself a medal of any form.

Finally it arrived as he received a shoot-off within the 2012 Video games in London beating Russian Valeriy Shomin – enhancing on his fourth place in 2004 with a bronze.

“I advised myself that I have to win the medal – for my nation, for all Arabs,” Al-Attiyah advised Sport360.

“I’ve every little thing in my dwelling besides an Olympic medal. It means a lot.”

Al-Attiyah – who received Qatar’s solely fourth-ever Olympic medal – had actually hit his sporting straps because it got here a 12 months after the primary of his victories within the Dakar Rally.

4 Dakar Rally wins later and failing to medal on the Rio Video games in 2016, his urge for food is much from sated.

He nonetheless entertains hopes of successful gold within the 2024 Video games in Paris and galvanizing extra Qatari college youngsters to take up both capturing or automotive racing.

“After studying about me, a number of children wish to take part in capturing and racing,” he mentioned.

Al-Attiyah as soon as had three sports activities on the go however dropped horse using fearing a hand damage would forestall him competing in his different two sporting pursuits.

His love of derring-do and daredevilry had additionally pushed him in direction of changing into a pilot – he mentioned that his cousins had been pilots – as nicely however then he shelved it.

An opportunity alternative to associate one other cousin in a Rally persuaded him his ft belonged on the bottom and never up within the air.

It was his father Saleh, although, who had set him on the trail to each his most well-liked sports activities.

Saleh purchased him a Nissan Patrol when he was 18 and he loved prompt success nationally whereas Al-Attiyah senior additionally took him looking.