A 0.01-Second Medal Miss Fueled Noureddine Hadid’s Sprinting Journey

Noureddine Hadid visualises every phase of a race he’s about to run before stepping onto the track. In complete silence, with no music coming through headphones or any distractions present, the sprinter - Lebanon’s fastest man - recounts the thousands of hours he’s put into training, cultivating a deep sense of calm before the starter pistol sounds off.  It’s a process that allows him to rely on his instincts - and focus entirely on the mental discipline of athletics that, as he puts it, is without question much more difficult than the physical aspect of the sport. “That's a different kind of strength. I've had to learn to find stillness amid chaos, and honestly, that's made me a better competitor,” he tells SceneSports. “Physical training is a formula. You follow the program, your body adapts. But showing up every single day with focus and belief, especially when you're living in a region that has never truly known peace, that’s a different kind of strength.” Within seconds, the race is over. What sticks is the pride and purpose that Hadid has for what he does and keeps carrying him through.  “My discipline is connected to what I feel my purpose is, of representing my country to the best of my ability,” he explains. “When young athletes in this region see someone who looks like them, who comes from the same streets, the same struggles and that person is competing on the world stage, it rewires what they think is possible.” Hadid didn’t grow up on the track. Like most kids in the region, his first instincts played out on a football pitch. But speed has a way of revealing itself early, and in his case, it was impossible to ignore.  At 19, he competed in my first national final, finished sixth in the 200m, and something clicked. “The track was where I was meant to be,” he tells SceneSports. “That day, I fell completely in love with the sport, and I never looked back.” Fast-forward a few years, and it all started to feel real for him under the bright lights in at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha at the 2019 Asian Athletics Championships. He missed out on a bronze medal by 0.01 seconds. It was a long way from where it all started for Lebanon’s fastest man, close enough to hurt, and even closer to something much bigger.  “Standing on that track, competing against the best sprinters in Asia, I realised this wasn’t just a title. I was genuinely world-class. That feeling still gives me chills, and it fuels me to keep pushing for more.” On the surface, Hadid’s fourth-place finish that April day looks like a setback. After training for thousands of hours, working on his technique for months, and paying meticulous attention to everything associated with sprinting to miss out on official recognition isn’t easy to stomach. Hadid, however, sees it differently. For him, everything he does, on and off the track, is attached the same motive that keeps pushing him through. “My career has never just been about my own times,” he says. “Between competing at the highest level and coaching the next generation, I’m trying to build a foundation — proof that world-class sprinting is possible in Lebanon. If young athletes look at what I’ve done and dare to believe they can do it too, that’s the legacy I want to leave.”  For Hadid, the future is as clear as the process that got him here.  A perfect season isn’t just about times or medals, though both matter. It’s about staying healthy, breaking personal bests in the 100m and 200m, and showing up consistently on the biggest stages. Proving, over and over again, that Lebanon belongs.  “I’m entering the prime of my career with more experience, more clarity, and more hunger than ever,” he says. “The best is still ahead.”