Maksimova who switched allegiance to Syria to allow her to compete at the Pan Arab Games, scored 49.233 for gold in the women's event at the Miloud Hadefi Complex Omnisport Arena in Oran, with Fatma Zohra Boukhatem of Algeria her nearest challenger on 45.700.

Vladimir Putin's Russia is one of the few international allies of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria during the ongoing civil war, and Syria is one of the few countries which has consistently voted against condemning the invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations General Assembly.

Earlier this year, the Russian Olympic Committee revealed plans to advance its relationship with the Syrian Olympic Committee.

Russian and Belarusian athletes remain unable to compete in International Gymnastics Federation events because of the war in Ukraine, with a decision on whether to readmit them as individual neutrals expected this month.

Lais Najjar triumphed for Syria in the men's all-around artistic gymnastics event in Oran, scoring 78.267 to the 77.334 of Morocco's Hamza Hossaini.

Hosts Algeria and Tunisia won one judo gold medal apiece as they contested both team finals at the Pan Arab Games.

Algeria won the women's team final 3-2 against Tunisia at La Coupole Arena in Algiers, but their opponents' men's team gained a measure of revenge by defeating the host nation by the same scoreline in their final.

Morocco had earlier beaten Jordan 3-0 and Syria defeated Palestine 3-2 for the men's bronze medals.

It was another successful day in athletics for Bahrain at the Miloud Hadefi Stadium in Oran, as they won a further four golds.

Incheon 2014 Asian Games champion Kemi Adekoya has returned to World Athletics-recognised competition for the first time since 2018 at the Pan Arab Games, following a drugs ban which led to her being stripped of individual and relay golds at Jakarta-Palembang 2018.

She had already won the women's 400 metres title at the Games and added 400m hurdles in 54.36sec, beating Morocco's Noura Ennadi by more than one second.

Hajar Al-Khaldi led a Bahraini one-two in the women's 200m gold in 23.30 ahead of Asian Games champion Edidiong Odiong who clocked 23.74.

Noora Salem Jasim threw 15.89m for a comprehensive victory in the women's shot put, and Birhanu Balew triumphed in 14min 21.89sec in the men's 5,000m.

Morocco and Algeria both earned three athletics golds today.

Chakir Machmour took the men's 200m title for Morocco in 20.73, his compatriot Assia Raziki won the women's 800m in 2min 5.17sec, and the Moroccan team won the women's 4x400m relay in 3:35.80.

For the host nation, Slimane Moula took men's 800m gold in 1:46.87 while 7,362 points earned African champion Larbi Bourrada the decathlon title and Yasser Triki won men's long jump with a leap of 7.83m.

Esraa Owis won women's triple jump gold for Egypt with 13.57m, and Qatar's Bassem Hemeida triumphed in the men's 400m hurdles in 49.17.

Algeria remain top of the overall medals table with 34 golds, followed by Bahrain with 14 and Morocco with seven.

This year's edition is marking the first Pan Arab Games since 2011 in Qatar's capital Doha.