Faiqa Riaz
Pakistani athlete (born 1999)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Faiqa Riaz (Punjabi and Urdu: فائقہ ریاض; born 6 September 1999) is a Pakistani sprinter and long jumper.[1] She represented Pakistan in women's 100 m event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.[2][3]
Early life
Faiqa was born on 6 September 1999 in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. She completed her intermediate education at Lahore College for Women University and earned a Bachelor's degree from Superior University, Lahore.[4] She later obtained a Master's degree in Accounting and Finance.[5]
Career
Faiqa initially played field hockey as a right-in/right-out and attended Pakistan's national hockey team camp ahead of their Thailand tour in 2016. She later left hockey to focus exclusively on athletics.
She made her international athletics debut at the 2018 South Asian U20 Athletics Championships held in Sri Lanka, where she finished seventh in the women's 100 m event with a timing of 13.38.[6][7]
In 2023, she won the women's 100 m event at the National Athletics Championships in Attock with a timing of 12.00, representing the WAPDA, thereby becoming the national champion.[8][9] This is not considered as her personal best since the competition did not meet World Athletics record-ratification requirements.
She represented Pakistan at the 2024 Paris Olympics after receiving a universality place.[10] Competing in the women's 100 m event, she recorded a personal best of 12.49 and finished 24th overall in the preliminary round.[3]
At the 35th National Games held in Karachi in 2025, she won four gold medals: three in individual events (100 m, 200 m, long jump) and one as part of the 4x400 m relay team.[11]
She served as the nation's joint flag-bearer alongside wrestler Muhammad Inam at the Sanya 2026 Asian Beach Games Opening Ceremony, where she successfully qualified for the Women's 60m final by clocking 7.56 seconds in the heats before ultimately finishing 8th in the finals with a time of 7.75 seconds.[12]
Competitions
National Competitions
International Competitions
| Competition | Event | Location | Year | Result | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Asian U20 Athletics Championships | 100 m | Colombo, Sri Lanka | 2018 | 13.38 | 7th[7] |
| Olympic Games | 100 m | Paris, France | 2024 | 12.49 | 24th[3] |
| Asian Beach Games | 60 m | Sanya, China | 2026 | 7.75 | 8th |