The 2004 Olympic Games in Athens marked a turning point not only for Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed Hasher Al Maktoum but also for all sports in the UAE. The legendry ace shooter’s achievements were crowned with Olympic achievements at the Athens 2004. It represented a string of achievements for Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed Hasher Al Maktoum, as he not only became the UAE’s first gold medalist, but he also beat the rest of the competitors by leading the qualification with 144 out of a possible 150 hits, and his total score of 189 equaled the Olympic record. In the trap shooting he secured the fourth place, missing his second medal by just one hit.

The champion’s feat, which was due to relentless hard work and aggressive efforts to fetch Olympic gold, will remain forever etched on every Emirati heart. The nation’s hero was deservedly received by HH Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, when he returned home with the UAE Olympic team from Athens. He was also privileged to be received by HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and was honoured at the Athletics Event by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Minister of Finance and Industry and Deputy Ruler of Dubai.

Sheikh Ahmed has been winning gold medals for two years preceding the Athens Olympics Games and consistently remained at the top of International Shooting Union ratings. In that period his most remarkable accomplishment was the gold medal in the World Cup Championship in Belgrade in 2005. He was also the first shooter to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Sheikh Ahmed is a multi-talented sportsman, with passion for athletics and football, especially during his school days in Dubai. He also played basketball for the Al Wasl team and won the National Squash Championship in Dubai. He owes his superior qualities to his father, the late Sheikh Mohamed Bin Hasher Al Maktoum, who brought him up to love shooting and falconry. His talent nurtured especially during safaris. However his studies in the USA led him to raise the standard of his shooting skills, molding him to be an Olympic Shooter. He started with trap shooting and later moved to double trap, achieving many triumphs at the Gulf, Arab, Asian, International and Olympic levels.