Salum Ageze Kashafali

Salum Ageze Kashafali (born 25 November 1993) is a Norwegian Paralympic athlete who competes in the T12 classification of sprinting events. He is a Paralympic champion and silver medallist, two-time world champion and a European champion in the 100 metres. Kashafali won the gold medal in the men's 100 metres T12 event at the 2020 Summer Paralympics and the silver medal in the men's 100 metres T13 event at the 2024 Summer Paralympics.

Kashafali holds world records in the T12 and T13 classification of the 100 metres, with a time of 10.43 set at the 2020 Summer Paralympics and a time of 10.37 set at the Bislett Games in 2023 respectively. The latter record makes him the fastest Paralympian in the 100 metres event in history, regardless of disability.

Kashafali is visually impaired as a result of Stargardt disease.

Career

In 2019, Kashafali competed both in able-bodied and para-athletic competitions. In June 2019, he set a new world record of 10.45s in the 100 metres T12 event at the Bislett Games held in Oslo, Norway. In August 2019, at the 2019 Norwegian Athletics Championships, he won the gold medal in the men's 100 metres with a time of 10.37s.

At the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Kashafali won the gold medal in the men's 100 metres T12 event with a time of 10.54s. This meant that he qualified to represent Norway at the 2020 Summer Paralympics held in Tokyo, Japan.

In 2021, Kashafali won the gold medal in the men's 100 metres T12 event at the 2021 World Para Athletics European Championships held in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

Personal life

Kashafali was born in Goma on November 25, 1993. When a civil war broke out in Congo, Kashafali and his family fled the country and ended up in a refugee camp. The family came to Norway in 2003 and lived a brief period in Vadsø before settling in Bergen.

Achievements

Athletics

2019 Bislett Games Oslo, Norway 1st 100 m 10.45 s Norwegian Athletics Championships Børstad, Hamar Municipality 1st 100 m 10.37 s

Para-athletics

Representing 2019 World Championships Dubai, United Arab Emirates 1st 100 m 10.54 s 2021 European Championships Bydgoszcz, Poland 1st 100 m 10.70 s Summer Paralympics Tokyo, Japan 1st 100 m 10.43 s 2023 World Championships Paris, France 1st 100 m 10.45 s 2024 World Championships Kobe, Japan 3rd 100 m 10.79 s Summer Paralympics Paris, France 2nd 100 m 10.47 s