Qatari swimmer Yacob al-Khulaifi failed to qualify for the final of the 100m butterfly at the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Sunday night. Al-Khulaifi finished second in his heats in a time of 57.09 seconds, but that wasn’t enough for the youngster to secure a placed in the final. However, al-Khulaifi was pleased with his performance. “Thank God, I am happy with the timing that I achieved, which is close to the standard mark,” he said. 
Youth Olympics is an opportunity for young athletes to gain experience as they see to make it to the senior grade, with many hoping to take part in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. 
Al-Khulaifi was the Qatar’s flagbearer at the opening ceremony on Saturday. The 17-year-old qualified for the event on the basis of his strong performances at the Sarajevo International Swimming Championships in Bosnia and Herzegovina this year where he won the 50m butterfly gold and a silver in the 200m freestyle. He also clocked good times during the recent FINA World Cup in Doha.
Other athletes representing Qatar in Buenos Aires are hurdler Awab Baro, discus thrower Ahmed al-Haj, swimmer Abdul Aziz Mohamed and Equestrian rider Mohamed al-Kashouti. 
In China, 23 athletes represented Qatar in handball, equestrian, shooting, swimming, table tennis as well as athletics. The first edition of the Games, which was held in Singapore eight years ago, saw the participation of six Qatari athletes. Over 4,000 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees are competing in the Youth Olympic Games being held for the third time.