Yoldos Othmani: Winning is easy, staying there is not

February 12, 2026 / 12:54 PM

Sharjah 24: Tunisian rower Yoldos Othmani speaks about success with unusual restraint. “Staying at the top is harder than reaching it. The moment you believe you have arrived, that is when your decline begins.” The outlook reflects a competitive maturity beyond her years.

Competing at the 8th Arab Women Sports Tournament (AWST 2026) in Sharjah, Othmani delivered across two formats. She secured silver in the Coastal Rowing Single Sculls with a time of 3:23.24, before returning to claim gold in the Coastal Rowing Double Sculls alongside compatriot Wala Omri, finishing in 2:42.07.

Her progress extends beyond AWST. In 2024, she won gold at the African Championship in Egypt. A year later, she added another continental title in South Africa. In 2025, she competed at the World Rowing Championship in Lithuania, where she finished first in her category, and also ranked among the top 50 at the World Indoor Rowing Championship.

Despite the medal haul, Othmani frames achievement as routine rather than spectacle. “Rowing is not just strength. It requires mental clarity and exceptional fitness. To remain close to the podium, you must live a disciplined life in every detail,” said Othmani.

Raised along the Tunisian coast, she was introduced to rowing at a young age, encouraged by her mother. By 10, her competitive potential was already evident. Structured coaching at the Tabarka Nautical Sports and Fishing Association refined that early promise, placing equal emphasis on training, nutrition and recovery. Consistency, she says, underpins everything.

Her appearance at AWST 2026 carried additional weight. Rowing was held at the tournament for the first time, offering athletes a new platform and unfamiliar competitive conditions shaped by wind and surf. For Othmani, it was another test of control.

Silver in the single sculls confirmed her individual competitiveness. Gold in the double sculls highlighted her ability to perform within a crew dynamic. Together, the medals reinforced a pattern of versatility built on discipline.

Othmani’s ambitions extend to major international competitions, but her focus remains incremental. Winning once may confirm potential. Sustaining performance, she believes, is the greater challenge.

At 18, she remains at the beginning of her senior journey. Yet her results across Africa, the world stage and now AWST point to a career constructed as carefully as it is driven. In rowing, margins are unforgiving. For Othmani, the safeguard is simple: keep the work constant.