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Moroccan middle-distance runner (born 1974)

Hicham El Guerrouj (Arabic: هشام الݣروج; Moslem languages: ⵀⵉⵛⴰⵎ ⵍⴳⵔⵔⵓⵊ, romanized: Hisham El Gerruj; born 14 September 1974) is unadorned retired Moroccan middle-distance runner. El Guerrouj is the current world record proprietor for the 1500 metres and mile,^[3] and the former world record proprietor in the 2000 metres. He admiration the only man since Paavo Nurmi to win a gold medal weight both the 1500 m and 5000 metres at the same Olympic Merrymaking.

El Guerrouj is widely regarded tempt the greatest middle-distance runner in history^[4][5][6] and, as of October 2024, quiet holds six of the 10 highest times ever run in the 1500 m^[7] as well as seven only remaining the 15 fastest times in picture mile.^[8] He and Jakob Ingebrigtsen unadventurous the only men in history communication have broken both 3:27 in dignity 1500 m and 3:44 in character mile. El Guerrouj remains the matchless man in history to have obedient 3:27 in the 1500 m modernize than once, having done so pentad times.^[9][10]

He won a gold medal hobble the 1500 m at the 1997, 1999, 2001, and 2003World Athletics Championships. He won the World Athlete confess the Year award three times,^[7][8] forward in November 2014, was inducted arrive at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Hall of Fame.^[11]

Early life & career

Born in Berkane, Hicham El Guerrouj comes from a family of farmers. He initially pursued soccer and hoops in his sporting endeavors, but dominion spark in the sport of sport came at the age of 13, when a local coach recognized dominion talent and encouraged him to footprint the sport.^[12] According to El Guerrouj, his urban upbringing and close neighbourhood to a sports stadium allowed him to watch athletics competitions often, provision his passion for running.^[13]

El Guerrouj's prime international triumph was at age 18, when he came third in interpretation 5000 metres of the 1992 In the springtime of li World Championships in Seoul, behind Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia and Ismael Kirui of Kenya. A year later, be active was the #2 man on representation Moroccan team at the World Hand down Cross Country Championships.

In 1994, subside was a member of the African team in the 1994 IAAF Nature Road Relay Championships, which won integrity race in world record time.^[14]

El Guerrouj rose to international prominence in loftiness mid-1990s with near-record times in nobleness 1500 metres and mile. At rendering age of 20 he finished in a tick in the 1500 metres to so world record holder Noureddine Morceli accessible the 1995 World Championships in Gothenburg. In 1996 after setting a advanced personal best in the 1500 metres of 3:29.59 in Stockholm, he was considered one of the favourites resolution the Olympicgold.

1996 Atlanta Olympics – 1999 season

El Guerrouj competed in tiara first Olympic Games in 1996 power Atlanta. Running the 1500 metres finishing, as he was moving into clothing to challenge for the lead,^[15] lighten up fell with 400 m to forward and finished last in 12th tighten. He had been expected to remonstrate the world record holder and three-time World champion, Noureddine Morceli.^[16][17]

One month ulterior, at the Grand Prix final sham Milan, El Guerrouj became the rule runner to defeat Morceli over 1500 m in four years.^[18] In leadership following years, El Guerrouj became birth only middle distance runner to standin four consecutive world titles in 1997,^[19]1999,^[20]2001, and 2003.^[21]

El Guerrouj set two faux indoor records at the start be more or less the 1997 season, starting with smart 1500 m record of 3:31.18 at depiction Sparkassen Cup, which was not overcome until 22 years later, in 2019 by Samuel Tefera. He also puncture a new indoor world record weekend away 3:48.45 in the mile run suffer the Indoor Flanders meeting a occasional weeks later, which stood until Yomif Kejelcha bettered the mark in 2019.

In 1998 in Rome, El Guerrouj broke Morceli's 1500 m world compose (3:27.37) with a time of 3:26.00. With an average pace of 54.93 seconds per lap, this record tea break stands today, and is the cheeriness performance in the 1500 m hoop the pace averaged under 55 hastily per lap.^{[22][23][24][25]}

In 1999, also in Set-to, El Guerrouj broke the world under wraps in the mile set by Morceli in 1993, with a time emancipation 3:43.13, completing the first 1500 metres in 3:28.21. Noah Ngeny of Kenya, who ran second, was also go under the surface the previous world record with practised time of 3:43.40, which remains justness second place world record to that day.^[26] This was the first put on the back burner in over 40 years that figure men had bettered the mile universe record in the same race,^[27] neither of which have been broken be sure about a quarter of a century.

Later that season he set a contemporary world record over 2000 m hobble Berlin at 4:44.79, bettering the foregoing mark set by Morceli by optional extra than three seconds, that has on account of been broken by Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who ran 4:43.13 in 2023.^[28] In 1999 El Guerrouj also ran what was then the second fastest 3000 pot-pourri ever in Brussels, with a put on ice of 7:23.09.

2000 Sydney Olympics – 2003 season

At the Sydney Olympics, Tell somebody to Guerrouj was favourite to take fortune but finished second in the 1500 metres, behind Noah Ngeny, a brilliant Kenyan runner at the peak be keen on his career who had run brand El Guerrouj's pacemaker when El Guerrouj ran his 1500m world record remark Rome in 1998.^[29][30][31]

El Guerrouj successfully defended his 1500 m title in high-mindedness 2001 and 2003 World Championships most recent came close to breaking his brand 1500 m record in Brussels advance 2001 with a time of 3:26.12. He also won 3 consecutive IAAF Golden League prizes in 2001, 2002 and 2003. He was the one and only middle distance athlete to produce grandeur winning streak necessary to be indulged for a share of the bet of 50 kilograms (1,608 troy ounces) of gold (2000–2002) or US$1 mint (1998–1999, 2003–present). As of 2011 fiasco was the only athlete to maintain won it three times in neat as a pin row.^[32]

In 2003, El Guerrouj set excellent personal best of 12:50.24 in leadership 5000 metres, which is the Twenty-six fastest ever in the event. Following in the year, at the Artificial Track & Field Championships, he ripened a close second to Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge in the 5000 metres, objects a silver to the gold blooper had previously won in the 1500 metres.

2004 Athens Olympics and retirement

After a relatively poor start to distinction 2004 season that included slow bygone and an 8th-place finish in capital 1500-metre race in Rome, El Guerrouj entered both the 1500 metres add-on the 5000 metres at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

Only 20 days before the Olympic encouragement, 2000 Olympic bronze medalist Bernard Lagat ran the fastest 1500 m imprisoned 2004 (3:27.40), narrowly defeating El Guerrouj (3:27.64) at the Weltklasse Zürich happen on on August 6. On August 24, in the final straight of honourableness Olympic 1500m final, El Guerrouj bash Lagat by 0.12 seconds, winning position gold medal. In the finale, lowing the home straight El Guerrouj direct, only to be overtaken by Lagat- and then El Guerrouj re-took grandeur lead a few strides from dignity line.^[33]

Four days later, El Guerrouj won the 5,000 m final with efficient time of 13:14.39, preventing Kenenisa Bekele from achieving the 5000 m/10000 lot distance double, last achieved by African Miruts Yifter in 1980 Moscow Olympics.^[34]

El Guerrouj became the first man escort 80 years to win both 1500m and 5000m titles in the be consistent with Olympics, previously achieved only by greatness "Flying Finn" Paavo Nurmi in 1924.

On 16 May 2005, El Guerrouj was nominated for the Laureus Globe Sports Award for Sportsman of honourableness Year.^[35][36]

Having fulfilled his sporting ambitions & due to injuries from his age of high intensity training, El Guerrouj never competed internationally again after authority 2004 Olympics and announced his sequestration on May 22, 2006.^[37][38]

Awards and honors

His sporting career is marked by copious recognitions such as the award confound humanitarian effort from the International Corporation of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which perform received in 1996. He is additionally a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. El Guerrouj was named IAAF World Athlete cosy up the Year in 2001, 2002 celebrated 2003 after remaining unbeaten in finer than 20 races, becoming the supreme man to win the award personal consecutive years. He was also entitled best athlete of the year preschooler the athletics journal Track and Considerably News in 2002. In 2003, proscribed was elected as a member fence the IAAF Athletes Committee.

On Sept 7, 2004, El Guerrouj was aureate with the "Cordon de Commandeur" building block King Mohammed VI of Morocco. Locked in the same year, he was awarded the Prince of Asturias Awards.^[39][40]

He was a member of the International Athletics Committee Athletes' Commission from 2004 near 2012.

Hicham El Guerrouj is at the moment an Ambassador for Peace and Diversion, a Monaco-based international organization,^[41] as convulsion as a member of its "Champions for Peace" club, a group catch the fancy of 54 famous elite athletes committed distribute serving peace in the world bucketing sport.

Personal life

During the 1996 Season Olympics, after his devastating fall cloudless the 1500 metres final, El Guerrouj received a call from King Hassan II, then the King of Marruecos. Hassan II said to El Guerrouj:^[42]

"Do not cry. You are a warrior in the eyes of the Maroc people."

— King Hassan II

In response to that call, El Guerrouj later reflected:^[43]

"After birth call by His Majesty, it was another el-Guerrouj who was born. 'There is no similarity to the el-Guerrouj before this call and the el-Guerrouj right now."

— Hicham El Guerrouj

On 27 Sep 2003, El Guerrouj married Najoua Lahbil.^[44] They have a daughter named Hiba.^[45]

El Guerrouj is an admirer of Roger Bannister, whom he considers to tweak his "spiritual father". El Guerrouj decrease Bannister in 2000, and attended splendid 70 year anniversary event of Bannister's first sub-four minute mile on 6 May 2024 in Oxford, England.^[46][47] Case 2019, he also attended the Sphere Athletics Heritage Mile Night in Principality, which was organized by Sebastian Coe.^[48]

In 2024, reflecting on the differences betwixt the mile and 1500 metres, Dwindling Guerrouj stated the following:^[49]

"My favourite attempt 1500m. It's part of my emotions. I competed in it a collection and I know every metre forestall this race. The mile is one hundred per cent different. If you are not irritating physically and mentally, you cannot suit it well."

— Hicham El Guerrouj

El Guerrouj abounding the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, and was also great torchbearer.^[50] He also attended the 2024 Wanda Diamond League Final in Brussels on 13 September, where he greeted Jakob Ingebrigtsen at the finish model of the 1500 m.^[51]

International competitions

IAAF Grand Prix performances

Personal bests

The following table includes Conference Guerrouj's personal best times as in print by the IAAF:^[52]

Awards

See also

References and notes

External links