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Hicham El Guerrouj
Born	September 14, 1974 Berkane, Morocco

Hicham El Guerrouj (Arabic: هشام الكروج) (born September 14, 1974, Berkane, Morocco) is a retired Moroccan middle distance runner. He is the world record holder for the 1,500 metres (3:26.00), the mile (3:43.13) and 2,000 metres (4:44.79), and has been nicknamed "King of the Mile".^[1]

It is said that he became interested in racing as a child after being inspired by countryman Said Aouita's win in the 5,000 meters during the 1984 Olympics.

His sporting career is marked by numerous recognitions such as the award to humanitarian effort from the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which he received in 1996. He is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. El Guerrouj was named best athlete of the year by the IAAF in 2001 and 2002 after remaining unbeaten in more than 20 races and thus becoming the first man to win athlete of the year titles in consecutive years. Also, in 2002, he was chosen, together with the British athlete Paula Radcliffe, best athlete of the year by the prestigious athletics journal Track and Field News. In 2003, he was also top of the world athletics list and was elected as a member of the IAAF Athletes Committee.

On September 7, 2004, Hicham El Guerrouj was decorated with the "Cordon de Commandeur" by King Mohammed VI of Morocco. In the same year, he was awarded the Prince of Asturias Awards. ^[2]

He is a member of the International Olympic Committee Athletes's Commission.

Contents 1 History 1.1 1996 Atlanta Olympics 1.2 2000 Sydney Olympics 1.3 2004 Athens Olympics 2 Winning the Olympics double 3 Personal bests 4 Titles 5 See also 6 External links 7 References and notes

Olympic medal record
Men’s athletics
Silver	2000 Sydney	1500 m
Gold	2004 Athens	1500 m
Gold	2004 Athens	5000 m
World Championships
Silver	1995 Gothenbourg	1500 m
Gold	1997 Athens	1500 m
Gold	1999 Sevilla	1500 m
Gold	2001 Edmonton	1500 m
Gold	2003 Paris	1500 m
Silver	2003 Paris	5000 m

Hicham El Guerrouj's first international triumph arrived in 1992, when he was third in the 5000 metres junior World Championships in Seoul. He rose to international prominence in the mid-1990s with near-record times in the 1500 meters and mile. At the age of only 20 he finished second over 1500 m (3:35.28) at the 1995 World Championships in Athletics in Gothenburg behind Noureddine Morceli(3:33.73). In 1996 July 8, after setting a new personal best over 1500 m in 3:29.59 in Stockholm, he was considered one of the favourites for Olympic gold.

Now a new and serious pretender appeared on the 1500m field where Algerian Noureddine Morceli had reigned nealy four years.

However, in 1996 August 3, at the 1996 Summer Olympics El Guerrouj fell down on the track with 400m to go, finished 12th (3:40.75), and left stadium with tear-filled eyes. In that race, El Guerrouj, at 22, had been tipped to challenge the Algerian Noureddine Morceli, the world record holder at that time and two times(1991, 1995) World champion. He moved out of the pack, glided past Spain’s Fermin Cacho, the 1500m winner of 1992 Barcelona Olympics, and onto leading Morceli’s shoulder. But as they approached the bell, El Guerrouj’s knee grazed Morceli’s right foot. The Algerian stumbled but survived, while El Guerrouj was sent tumbling. He picked himself up to finish, but came home last, shattered and devastated. ^{[3] [4]}

Just one month later, in 1996 September 7, El Guerrouj became the first runner to defeat Morceli over 1500 m for four years when the two met at the Grand Prix final in Milan. Thereby about four years reign of Noureddine Morceli over 1500m ended.

In the following years, El Guerrouj became the only middle distance runner to win four consecutive world titles in 1997, 1999, 2001, and 2003.

At a meeting in Rome in 1998, El Guerrouj broke Morceli's 1500 m world record (3:27.37) and set a new one at 3:26.00. ^{[5] [6] [7]}

In 1999 July 7, El Guerrouj broke the world record in the mile set by Noureddine Morceli in Rome recording a remarkable 3:43.13 and just edging out Noah Ngeny of Kenya who recorded 3:43.40. ^[8]

Later in that season he set a new world record over 2000 m in Berlin at 4:44.79. He also ran the second fastest 3000 m ever when clocking 7:23.09 in Brussels in 1999. El Guerrouj came close to breaking his own 1500 m record in Brussels in 2001 with a time of 3:26.12. His personal best over 5000 m stands at 12:50.24 (Ostrava 2003).

At the Sydney Olympics in 2000, El Guerrouj, the world record holder and twice(1997 and 1999) world champion of 1500m at that time, who had only been defeated once since the previous Olympics, and who was the overwhelming favourite, finished second in the 1500 meters, being outkicked by Noah Ngeny. Ngeny was a Kenyan runner who ran as a El Guerrouj's pacemaker when El Guerrouj made 1500m world record in Rome in 1998, and who set the current 1000m world record in 1999. ^{[9] [10] [11] [12]}

Despite his Sydney defeat, Hicham El Guerrouj continued to defend his World champion title at 2001 and 2003 World Championships.

Hicham El Guerrouj also won 3 consecutive IAAF Golden League prizes in 2001, 2002 and 2003. He was the only middle distance athlete to achieve the win streak necessary to be entitled for a share of the jackpot of 50 kilograms (1,608 troy ounces) of gold (2000-2002) or USD 1 million (1998-1999, 2003-present). Indeed, he is the only athlete to have won it three times in a row.

He won the gold medal in both the 1500 meters and 5000 meters at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

In the 1500m final (2004 August 24), he won the gold medal (3:34.18) running a stunning 1:46 last 800 meters in the 1500 meters to outkick Bernard Lagat (3:34.30), the bronze medalist of 2000 Sydney Olympics. ^[13] Bernard Lagat was a Keynan runner who had run fastest (3:27.40) 1500m in world at that year 2004 defeating El Guerrouj(3.27.64) narrowly. Lagat won this victory over El Guerrouj at the Weltklasse Zürich 2004 meet in 2004 August 6, about 20 days before Olympics final, and put an end to El Guerrouj's seven times winning streak in Zurich between 1996 and 2003. (Meanwhile El Guerrouj set a meeting record of 3:26.45 in 1998) ^[14]

Four days later, in 2004 August 28, the 1500m winner El Guerrouj and the 10000m winner Kenenisa Bekele met in the 5,000m final. El Guerrouj waited behind Bekele until the home straightaway where he sprinted away for a 13:14.39 win thwarting the challenges of Bekele(2nd, 13:14.59) and Eliud Kipchoge(3rd, 13:15.10), and prevented Bekele from becoming the first athlete to score wins over both 5000m and 10000m, last achieved by Ethiopian Miruts Yifter in 1980 Moscow Olympics. ^[15]

He became then the first man in 80 years to win both 1500m and 5000m races in the same Olympics, after the "Flying Finn" Paavo Nurmi in 1924.

Despite the 1500m Olympic gold, his narrow win over Bernard Lagat in Olympics, his defeat by Lagat in Zurich, and his somewhat old age(30) showed that his reigning over 1500m that lasted 8 years was heading towards its end.

After Olympics, he competed sparsely. Due to injuries, he did not compete at 2005 World Championships in Helsinki.

On May 22, 2006, El Guerrouj announced his retirement. ^{[16] [17]}

For the past decade, Hicham El Guerrouj had been seeking an Olympic gold medal. He collided with Algeria's Nourredine Morceli, who went to win the gold medal, at the last lap in Atlanta's 1500 m final before finishing 12th. Between Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000, he lost only one race before he was outsprinted by Noah Ngeny of Kenya.

El Guerrouj's last chance for an Olympic gold came in Athens 2004. He ended eight years of agony as he won the elusive Olympic men's 1,500 and 5,000 metres gold medals. The 1500 race was especially remarkable in that El Guerrouj was caught and passed in the final straightaway, something that runners almost never recover from, but he was able to summon up an extra reserve and re-pass for the victory.

After winning the 1,500 metres medal, he said:

• "Its amazing to think that in Sydney I was crying tears of sadness and here I am crying tears of joy. I'm like a five year-old with a toy."

• "I felt Lagat coming again and again. At one point I thought this was Sydney all over again. He kept coming back at me like an avalanche but when Lagat closed on me for the last time I just found that extra energy."

After winning the 5,000 metres medal, making history as Paavo Nurmi of Finland had done in 1924, he said:

• "Paavo Nurmi is a great legend. He is one of the athletes who marked history. He left his name at his point in time. Now, I’m able to put my name with his. He is from another time, a time when my grandfather was watching him. To stand alongside him now, how can I express it? There are no words."

• "Maybe I will defend my title at the World championships next year. This year my objective was to win both races at the Olympics in Athens, which is the birthplace of the sport and my ‘birthplace’ as an athlete. Next year I will move onto the next stage and try to break the 5000 m world record. Who knows? Maybe I will be there in 2008 after all, racing against Bekele again at the marathon."

Distance	Mark	Date	Location
800 m	1:42.70	UNKNOWN	[TRAINING]
1,000 m	2:16.85	1999-07-12	Nice
1,500	3:26.00	1998-07-14	Rome
Mile	3:43.12	1999-07-07	Rome
2,000 m	4:44.79	1999-09-07	Berlin
3,000 m	7:23.09	1999-09-03	Brussels
5,000 m	12:50.24	2003-03-12	Ostrava

Note: All dates in DD.MM.YYYY format

1500 m

Competition	Ranking	Timing	Place	Date	Title
2004 Olympic Games	1	3:34.18	Athens	24.08.2004	Gold medalist
2003 World Championship	1	3:31.77	Paris	27.07.2003	World Champion
2001 World Championship	1	3:30.68	Edmonton	05.08.2001	World Champion
2000 Olympic Games	2	3:32.32	Sydney	29.09.2000	Silver medalist
1999 World Championship	1	3:27.65	Seville	24.08.1999	World Champion
Grand Prix	1	3:26.00	Rome	14.07.1998	World recordman
1997 World Championship	1	3:35.83	Athens	06.08.1997	World Champion
World Championship Indoor	1	3:35.31	Paris	08.03.1997	World Champion
Grand Prix	1	3:31.18	Stuttgart	02.02.1997	World recordman
1996 Olympic Games	12	?	Atlanta	1996	(fell on his face)
1995 World Championship	2	3:35.28	Gothenburg	13.08.1995	Silver medalist
World Championship Indoor	1	3:44.54	Barcelona	11.03.1995	World champion

Mile

Competition	Ranking	Timing	Place	Date	Title
Grand Prix	1	3:43.13	Rome	07.07.1999	World recordman
Grand Prix	1	3:48.45	Gand	12.02.1997	World recordman

2000 m

Competition	Ranking	Timing	Place	Date	Title
Grand Prix Final	1	4:44.79	Berlin	07.09.1999	World recordman

3000 m

Competition	Ranking	Timing	Place	Date	Title
World Championship Indoor	1	7:37.74	Lisbon	11.03.2001	World Champion

5000 m

Competition	Ranking	Timing	Place	Date	Title
2004 Olympic Games	1	13:14.39	Athens	28.08.2004	Gold medalist
2003 World Championship	2	12:52.83	Paris	31.08.2003	Silver medalist

• World record progression for the mile run
• List of African athletes
• Fédération Royale Marocaine d’Athlétisme
• Said Aouita

• Video of Hicham El Guerrouj breaking the mile world record
• IAAF profile for Hicham El Guerrouj
• El Guerrouj diary at IAAF

Olympic champions in men's 1500 m

1896: Teddy Flack | 1900: Charles Bennett | 1904: Jim Lightbody | 1906: Jim Lightbody | 1908: Mel Sheppard | 1912: Arnold Jackson | 1920: Albert Hill | 1924: Paavo Nurmi | 1928: Harry Larva | 1932: Luigi Beccali | 1936: Jack Lovelock | 1948: Henry Eriksson | 1952: Josy Barthel | 1956: Ron Delany | 1960: Herb Elliott | 1964: Peter Snell | 1968: Kip Keino | 1972: Pekka Vasala | 1976: John Walker | 1980: Sebastian Coe | 1984: Sebastian Coe | 1988: Peter Rono | 1992: Fermín Cacho | 1996: Noureddine Morceli | 2000: Noah Ngeny | 2004: Hicham El Guerrouj

Olympic champions in men's 5000 m

1912: Hannes Kolehmainen | 1920: Joseph Guillemot | 1924: Paavo Nurmi | 1928: Ville Ritola | 1932: Lauri Lehtinen | 1936: Gunnar Höckert | 1948: Gaston Reiff | 1952: Emil Zátopek | 1956: Vladimir Kuts | 1960: Murray Halberg | 1964: Bob Schul | 1968: Mohammed Gammoudi | 1972: Lasse Virén | 1976: Lasse Virén | 1980: Miruts Yifter | 1984: Saïd Aouita | 1988: John Ngugi | 1992: Dieter Baumann | 1996: Vénuste Niyongabo | 2000: Millon Wolde | 2004: Hicham El Guerrouj