2004 SeasonDate Location Distance Time Place8-28-2004 Athens 5000 13:14.39 1 HICHAM EL GUERROUJ IS THE OLYMPIC CHAMPION AGAIN!!! He won the Olympic Mens 5000m Gold Medal!!! Hicham El Guerrouj had won the Olympic Gold medal in the Mens 1500m four days ago and now he won a second Olympic Gold medal in the Mens 5000m today. After disappointing performances in his last two Olympic Games he more than makes up for it and dries his tears from Atlanta and Sydney. Coming into this race most people believed that the three favorites for the Gold were Hicham El Guerrouj, Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia, and Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya. All three of them took different paths this year to the Olympics. Hicham struggled this year in the 1500m but won the Olympic Gold medal in that event four days ago. Kenenisa broke Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia's 5000m and 10000m world records this year and won the Olympics 10000m Gold medal. Kipchoge set a Kenyan soil record in their Olympic Trials Mens 5000m before running an impressive 12:46.53 time for the event. Before this race people thought the order would go Kenenisa Bekele, Hicham El Guerrouj, and then Eliud Kipchoge. Hicham proved them wrong! By achieving a historic Olympic Gold medal double in Athens he assured his place in history as one of the greatest ever. The last person to have achieved the Mens 1500m/5000m Gold medal double in the Olympic Games was the great Paavo Nurmi, "The Flying Finn", of Finland in the 1924 Paris Olympics and now Hicham El Guerrouj, "The King Of The Mile", of Morocco has become the next. The Mens 1500m/5000m is the most difficult Olympic distance double of them all. It is an even more difficult double than the Mens 5000m/10000m and the Mens 800m/1500m because the races are much different physically. Hicham El Guerrouj has assured his place in history as one of the greatest distance runners of all time and the greatest miler of all time. He shows that as long as you believe in yourself, never give up, and give it your all that all dreams are possible. Hicham El Guerrouj is the most inspirational athlete of all time! The race started out with Hicham, Kenenisa, and Eliud lining up right next to each other near the outside lane. After the gun went off Kenenisa went to the front immediately but didn't press the pace. Eliud and Hicham were relaxing near the front and not controlling the pace. After a lap the order was Bekele, Tim Broe of the United States, Kipchoge, Dejene Berhanu of Ethiopia, Craig Mottram of Australia, and then Hicham El Guerrouj. After two laps Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam of Ethiopia took over the lead and pushed the pace for a moment as they went through the 1km mark in a slow 2:58.46. At this time the order was Gebremariam, Kipchoge, Bekele, Zersenay Tadesse of Eritrea, Mottram, followed by Broe and Hicham El Guerrouj. The race was beginning to play right into Hicham's hands as it was slow and would enable him to unleash a strong finishing kick. After letting Gebremariam lead for about 600m Abraham Chebii of Kenya decided to take the lead and press the pace a little bit. By the time the pack hit the 2km mark in 5:35.99 Eliud Kipchoge was leading the field and there were many people still in contention. With about seven laps or eight laps to go Kenenisa Bekele had taken the lead and ran a 61 second lap to inject a hot pace into the event, desperately trying to drop as many racers as possible. He followed that up with a 60 second lap as there was now six laps to go. At this point the order was Bekele, Kipchoge, Gebremariam, El Guerrouj, Mottram, Tadesse, and then Berhanu. Bekele led through the 3km mark in 8:10.89 and many people still had a chance of winning a medal. At this point, with five laps to go the order was the order was Bekele, Kipchoge, Gebremariam, El Guerrouj, Berhanu, Mottram, John Kibowen of Kenya, and then Tadesse. Kenenisa Bekela and Eliud Kipchoge were both trading the lead and trying to force the pace to burn away the kick of Hicham El Guerrouj and make up for the slow first kilometer. With four laps to go the order was Bekele, Kipchoge, El Guerrouj, Gebremariam, Berhanu, Mottram, Kibowen, and Tadesse. At this time there was a definate pack of eight left in the race leaders. With three and a half laps left Kipchoge took over the lead yet again from Bekele. With three laps to go the order was Kipchoge, Bekele, Gebremariam, El Guerrouj, Berhanu, Kibowen, Mottram, and then Tadesse. This pack of eight had definetely broken away from the field and only a second and a half seperated those eight. Eliud led through the 4km mark in 10:48.62. With two laps left in the race the order was Kipchoge, Bekele, Gebremariam, El Guerrouj, Berhanu, Mottram, Tadesse, and then Mottram as the pack was still closely bunched. With one and a half laps to go the pack finally started to seperate as Tadesse and Mottram were fading. With one lap to go Kipchoge led over Bekele with El Guerrouj and Gebremariam right behind. Hicham was blocked in front by Bekele, to his right by Gebremariam, and behind by Berhanu and Kibowen. Hicham was boxed in by three Ethiopians and looked to be in trouble in the backstretch even though he was in third or fourth place. Hicham continued to watch Kenenisa and Eliud and waited for his chance to make his move. With 250m to go Bekele made a move to pass Kipchoge which allowed Hicham to get ahead of Gebremariam and then pass Kipchoge. With 200m left Kenenisa Bekele was attacking as Hicham El Guerrouj was starting to pass Eliud Kipchoge. In the final turn Hicham passed Eliud and worked his way up to Kenenisa. It was the predicted Clash of the Titans as the top three favorites were the top three with 100 meters to go. Now Hicham and Kenenisa entered the final straightaway very close together but Bekele had a slight advantage. Would Kenenisa's strength be enough to match Hicham's kick? Hicham El Guerrouj sprinted hard and worked his way up to pull even with Kenenisa Bekele with 50 meters to go. In the final 50 meters Hicham El Guerrouj used his milers' kick to power away from Kenenisa Bekele and win the Olympic Gold medal in the 5000m! After Hicham crossed the line in first place he put his hands in the air, then looked at the nearest tv camera and said something like, "Two! Now I have two!" as he put up two fingers in the air to symbolize his two Olympic Gold medals! Hicham El Guerrouj waited eight years to win his first Olympic Gold medal and the world waited eighty years to witness one of the greatest sporting achievements ever. Hicham El Guerrouj won the Mens 1500m and the Mens 5000m in the Athens Olympics. Hicham was very eager to emulate Paavo Nurmi and now he has. World record holder Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia's blazing 53.02 last lap in the Olympic Mens 10000m race which set an Olympic record was so amazing that few doubted that he would lose the 5000m today. Kenenisa was also going for a historic Olympic distance double. He was trying to become the first person to win the Mens 5000m and Mens 10000m since the great Ethiopian Miruts Yifter, "Yifter The Shifter", achieved the feat in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Steve Ovett of Great Britain, and Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia both had their doubts, among other elite athletes and most of the world. Hicham had only dedicated about 20% of his training torward achieving the 5000m Olympic Gold this year because he wanted the Olympic Gold in the 1500m mainly. Also Hicham had troubles this year with breathing problems that had haltered his training. That was followed later in the summer by 1500m losses in Rome and Zurich. He worked his way back into top form and won the Olympic 1500m Gold medal but still was impressed by Bekele and his chances in the 5000m. Even though there were doubts of Hicham achieving victory he still knew he could win Gold and make history. He knew that he had a chance to go down in history as a successor to Paavo Nurmi and one of the Greatest Of All Time and that's what he did. Hicham El Guerrouj's career has come full circle. His first major international track appearance was at the World Junior Championships 5000m in 1992 when he got third behind Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia. His real path to immortality in athletics came four years later in the Atlanta Olympic Games. He was a co-favorite for the Mens 1500m along with Noureddine Morceli, the former King Of The Mile, of Algeria. With 500m to go Morceli was leading the race for Olympic Gold. Then Hicham passed Fermin Cacho of Spain to challenge Morceli for the lead. With a lap to go the two collided and Hicham fell. He got up immediately but was left behind as Morceli started his final kick for the finish. Hicham finished last while Morceli won the Gold. Hicham was in tears on the track but received an immediate post race phone call from Morocco's King Hassan II. The King said he was still a champion in the eyes of the Moroccan people. This motivated Hicham and inspired him not to give up. Hicham El Guerrouj continued on his quest for Olympic Gold for four more years. He was a heavy favorite coming into the Sydney Olympic Games Mens 1500m race in 2000. Hicham led the last half of the race and most thought he would win but in the final 50 meters he was outsprinted by Noah Ngeny of Kenya. It was one of the biggest upsets of the Games that Hicham achieved only an Olympic Silver medal. Once again he received a phone call from the Moroccan King, this time the son, Mohamed VI, and was encouraged to persevere and go for the Olympic Gold once again. Hicham did persevere and continued on his quest for Olympic Gold for four more years. Hicham has won virtually every title, record, and honor possible in the sport of athletics but the only thing missing from his trophy cabinet has been the Olympic Gold medal. He was considered the greatest miler in history not to have an Olympic Gold medal before Athens. He had a practice run at the 1500m/5000m double at the 2003 Paris World Championships where he won the Gold and Silver medals respectively. Today he completed his Olympic Gold medal double but will not retire anytime soon. Next year he wants to break the 5000m world record and might defend his title in the World Championships in Helsinki, Finland. He says he might even race the 10000m in the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008. In the stands watching was Hicham's great rival Noureddine Morceli of Algeria and he was impressed. He said that Hicham is a great man who never gave up and finally achieved his deserved lifelong dream of Olympic Gold. Hicham had a baby daughter with his wife Najoua this year and hoped that he could also achieve achieve Olympic Gold this year. Hicham dedicated his medal to his daughter Hiba, the Moroccan people, to the Arab world, and to the Muslim world. This is historic achievement that will not be forgotten. After suffering for so long he came back time and time again and finally achieved the Olympic Gold. Now he has not only two Gold medals but a place history among the greatest sporting heroes of all time. Hicham always dreamed that he would achieve Olympic Gold and dreams do come true. Hicham El Guerrouj is an inspiration to us all in showing that in the face of adversity we must never give up, but instead persevere. If you believe in yourself all dreams are possible. Hicham El Guerrouj is a True Champion! Hicham El Guerrouj quotes after the race: "Two! Now I have two! I was very optimistic before I came to Athens and I think that this is a historic victory that I dedicate to the Moroccan people, to the Arab world and to the Muslim world. I was afraid that the rhythm of the race would be fast but my strategy worked. This is incredible on one side but on the other I always believed in myself. After all that went on in Atlanta and Sydney this is a deserved reward but also unbelievable that I can win two Olympic Gold medals in the space of five days. I was never very worried during the race and I knew entering the final lap that Bekele would try and kick away but I watched every move he made and ensured he would not slip away. This has been the most remarkable week of my life. In July, I was not even sure if I would come to Athens. But two days before we were to leave, I was talking to my training partner, and I said, 'God makes good things happen to good people at the right moment.'. You have to always believe, and I worked so hard for this. When I saw that Bekele got through the first 400 in 1:06 and the second 400 in 2:26, I said to myself, 'Hicham, you are going to win this.'. Paavo Nurmi is a great legend, an athlete who made his mark on history. My grandfather was watching him. Now I have two Gold medals like him. No words can express how I feel. I was dreaming to be like Said Aouita. I think I did better. When I woke up today I said to myself: 'This is going to be my day'. I'm very pleased with my performance. I want to thank all the people who helped me, my family, my coach, my physiotherapist. I also want to thank the press, the media. Bekele is very strong. After his last lap(53.02 seconds) in the 10000m I was impressed. Next year I will concentrate on the 5000 metres and I think I will be able to run the 10000 metres in Beijing. Maybe next year I will defend my title. When I think about the things that happened to me. When I lost in Sydney it was difficult to start running again. But I worked hard for four more years. I was ready. Then this year I had the breathing problems, and only made the decision to come to Athens in July. Six weeks ago I couldn’t breathe normally, but one and a half months later I have two Golds – it’s fabulous. I can’t decide now what I am going to do in the years to come. I’ve always had great pleasure in running. It’s my life, and I have never given up. I’ve come from so far back to have this triumph in Athens. 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. (On the matchup between himself, Kenenisa, and Eliud) A jewel. (On the fact that he won two Olympic Gold medals) I can tell you I'm very happy. Two Gold medals in five days! I was relaxed in the race and let my opponents do the work. I stayed behind until the last 100 meters. Everybody has watched this race. This is good for the sport and the new generation. (On if he became a legend after the double) Two days ago I received a message from a friend at Toulouse. It was saying that in 1997 Athens discovered the Prince, in 2004 Athens will discover the King. When I came to the stadium I was talking to myself and I was thinking of Paavo Nurmi. I was telling myself 'this is a great day for you. You have 20 hours to go. If you want to keep this medal, do it'. I am very pleased. I thank everyone that helped me. I always dreamed of being an Olympic Champion and now I did it twice. It's fantastic. (On his feelings after achieving what he has been chasing for 8 years) I could tell you a lot of stories that happened to me. When I lost in Sydney, I found it very hard to start running again. For four years I worked very hard. This year I experienced breathing problems. In July I didn't even know if I would be here. But I continued trying and I was thinking that God would help me at the right time. (On the race) When I saw Bekele and his performance, I thought that I was going to win. My strength is the finish. They made a serious mistake and they will have to wait another year for another race. But I won't be there. Maybe I will be with Bekele in the 10,000m. (On how he will motivate himself after having won everything) I can't decide now what I'm going to do in the next few years. Always I find great pleasure in running. I never gave up even with the difficulties. Maybe next year I will defend my title, if God wants it, and I also have the 5000m world record to beat. (On Paavo Nurmi) He was a great legend. He made history in his time. Our generation is also very strong. Things have changed. Athletes like Bekele, Kipchoge and Gebrselassie are really great. (On comparing his feelings in Sydney and Athens) Four years ago I was crying like a kid at the press conference. Now I am happy as a child. If God wants it, the future will be as today. (On the fact he was elected at the athlete's commission) Many great athletes, like Sergey Bubka, were also elected. Our job is to represent the athletes, to deal with their problems during the games. We must have a plan and to do the hard job and if God wants it I will do it in the right way. (On if he was enough prepared for 5,000m) This year my objective was to do the double. The most important was the 1500m Gold medal. 20% of the work I did was for the 5000m. But my objective was to win the Gold medals. Next year, if God wants it, I will move to the stage of breaking the world 5000m record. (On if he was afraid that Bekele could beat him) Yes. He had demonstrated he was very strong at 10,000m. He is young, fresh and extremely talented. He can destroy all records from 5,000m. maybe up to the marathon. But today I was very strong mentally, even after four races." Quotes in Hicham's interview with Bob Neumeier on the NBC television station after the race: Bob Neumeier: "Hicham after your disappointments in 96 and 2000, what does this mean to you here tonight?" Hicham El Guerrouj: "I am very happy for two Gold medal. After my deception in Atlanta and Sydney. The Gold, I am very thankful for the Gold, thankful for everything. I am very happy for two Gold medals, I am very very ... I am not good speak English, but today I am very happy." Bob Neumeier: "When you crossed the line you put up the two fingers, what were you thinking about, how happy were you at that point?" Hicham El Guerrouj: "After two Olympics, after Atlanta and after Sydney. Everybody is speaking 'Hicham is finished, Hicham about to die'. I prove for everybody I am the first, I am the number one. I am very happy after Paavo Nurmi in 24. Today I win two Gold medals, it's fantastic. Thankyou." Kenenisa Bekele quotes after the race: "I was quite tired because of the 10000 meters and the semifinals(of the 5000m). It was not an easy race. The field was very strong so I am pleased with winning the silver. The Ethiopians tried to run together, but today that wasn't enough for me to win. If you have a tough competitor, I like the race. One dreams of great things. I was hoping for two Golds but one Gold and one silver is still good. To run one 10000 and two 5000's is very tough, especially at such a high tempo. We were expecting something, waiting for one another. I felt the effects of the races I had already run this week and found it difficult to get into a good rhythm. I was very aware that I couldn't operate at will along with my team-mates as we would have liked as it was a great field. However, Kipchoge did a good job of upsetting our routine and I did not have a big enough lead going into the final lap to be fully confident of outdoing El Guerrouj. (On a tactical race) It was so we could run together. If I had started going faster, I could have won it. It could be that was my mistake, because El Guerrouj is a very fast runner and this helped him. (On why he didn't run faster) I was waiting for someone else to do it(to lead). I run reasonably well. But I was tired from the 10000m. (On if he was expecting El Guerrouj to have such a strong finish) If I had started earlier my sprint, maybe I could make it and win. But I let him continue and that was my mistake. He is too strong at the finish. (On the fact that he was the favorite to win the race) I was strong and I didn't face any particular problem. But it is a race and in a race someone must be first and someone else second. (On why he wasn't able to do the kick he did at the last lap of 10000m) Today wasn't my day. If I had tried that 400m before the finish, maybe it would work. But it wasn't my day. (On the prospect of doubling in 5km/10km and facing Hicham again) You never know. But what I would love to find now is an opportunity to race again with those I competed against and lost to. If some country could invite the two of us, and we could race again, I would be very happy. (On kicking too late in the race) I made a mistake. If I had kicked with 400 meters to go, it would not have been like this. I couldn’t have run at a faster speed than that at the end, but I could have run at the same speed for much longer. It was difficult to run 10000 meters and two 5000 meters." Eliud Kipchoge quotes after the race: "He's a 1500 runner, the race was a bit slow. El Guerrouj is the best at this time. He was more patient. That's why he has the Gold medal. I think I concentrated too much on Bekele and this slowed down the pace. As Bekele and I were watching each other, Hicham was just behind us. I am not surprised that the race was won by 1500m runner. I had nothing left to give but I am proud of my effort and I will give them another good run for their money next year. (On why he didn't run faster at the beginning) We were all waiting for someone else to make a move. I was expecting too a faster race. But these are the Olympic Games. Everybody can win and in any way. (On if he was expecting El Guerrouj to have such a strong finish) Yes, because he is coming from a shorter distance in which he needs to be fast in the final meters." Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam of Ethiopia quotes after the race: "The pace was slow so I took the early lead and in the end when I was trying to catch up with El Guerrouj and Bekele I just couldn't do so. It was too late. Now I have to start planning for next season." Dejene Berhanu of Ethiopia quotes after the race: "The finish was extremely fast. We know he’s very strong. We tried to the best of our ability to hold him off." Craig Mottram of Australia quotes after the race: "I'm not going to say I'm disappointed, but I would have loved to come away with a bit better result. The race is no different, it's the week leading into it. The pressure is huge, particularly what I put on myself, but I went out there ready to race. You've just got to get out there and f...ing work hard, train hard and go out and race hard and get the results. I went out there hoping I could do something great tonight. The first two or three(kilometers) I was in the mix and it went really slow. There were actually a few guys out there cracking jokes. It felt good when the pace got going. I was settled and I was relaxed and I had the position I wanted behind Bekele and El Guerrouj. Then I just started to get tired, the fourth (kilometer) yet again, is what I've really got to concentrate on. I would have liked to have come away with a bit better result but we move on. (On the first part being slow and what leaders were saying) 'C'mon guys, let's get it going'. We were trotting really. It was quite interesting being out there in front of 60,000 people doing what felt like a training run for the first couple of laps, but it's a good experience. I tried to do it but I couldn't quite hang on at that four(kilometres). I was ready to race and I gave it my best and the result wasn't exactly as good as we hoped for. But top eight in the Olympic final isn't bad as well. This uniform will be coming on for many years to come, I'll tell ya. (On difference between his London 5000m this year and the Olympic 5000m) We knew what Gebrselassie was going to do. Today there were a lot of things that could happen. It all adds to the tension." Jose Hermens(Kenenisa Bekele's manager) quotes after the race: "If he had kicked earlier, and if they had gone out with a harder pace, it would have been better." Noureddine Morceli(1996 Atlanta Olympics Mens 1500m Gold medalist) quotes after the race: "To make that double at these Games is amazing. Compared to 80 years ago, winning twice is so much harder because the level is so high. But he has a great talent and great desire to win. He had won so much in his career except the Olympics, and that meant so much to him. Losing in Atlanta was so hard for him. He has carried that sadness for eight years, but he never gave up. Now he is a true successor to Nurmi. Hicham is such a great athlete and such a great man too. He deserves it. He has a great talent and great desire to win." Lamine Diack(IAAF President) quotes after the race: "Although I would not normally single out individuals, I do want to pay special tribute to Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco and Kelly Holmes of Great Britain. Both athletes came to Athens, after many years at the top, with the pressure of public opinion questioning their ability to capture Olympic glory. And yet, combining their physical talents with tactical intelligence and sheer will-power, each athlete not only succeeded in winning the Gold that has eluded them at previous editions of the Games, but came back a second time to snatch another victory. El Guerrouj and Holmes have certainly earned their place in the Athletics Hall of Fame." Steve Ovett(Olympic Gold medalist in the 800m in 1980 and 1984) quotes before the race: "(He should) simply accept the fact that he’s a miler. I can’t see him beating Bekele, no." Haile Gebrselassie(Olympic Gold medalist in 10000m in 1996 and 2000) quotes before the race: "Kenenisa will win. When El Guerrouj won(the 1500m) I was really happy for him. He had won everything but was not an Olympic champion. Now he is. This is not only good for El Guerrouj but for the next generation – now he’s an example to them. But in the 5000m Bekele has a much better chance." Tom Hammond(USA's NBC television network commentator) quotes in the final 150m: "Bekele, Gold medalist at 10000 meters. El Guerrouj, Gold medalist at 1500. Here they are in the home straightaway of the 5000 meters. Bekele! El Guerrouj! El Guerrouj alongside to challenge his younger rival! Bekele! El Guerrouj! Fighting together! Sprinting at the end of 5000! And El Guerrouj pulls away to win!!" Tom Hammond(USA's NBC television network commentator) quotes after the race: "The Athens track and field competition will always be remembered for this man, Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco. Who earlier had accomplished the only thing that had eluded him, Olympic Gold in the 1500. And tonight he added the 5000. In many ways these Olympics were a changing of the guard in track and field. But a familiar face put his stamp on these Games and validated his credentials as one of the all time greats." Jimmy Roberts(USA's NBC television network commentator) quotes after the race: "And fulfillment for a man, who's only Olympic memory is one of disappointment. In Atlanta Hicham El Guerrouj fell. In Sydney he was caught down the stretch. 'I have lived this dream for four years and it lies in tatters at my feet' he said that day. But in Athens, the man who'd lost just those two 1500 meter races, and one more in the last eight years, would not allow himself to lose again. He collapsed in tears of joy, and then was joined in exultation by those he had just beaten. Four days later El Guerrouj's Olympic legacy of disappoinment, became a formative footnote as he won the 5000 too." Personal note from www.kingofthemile.com webmaster Michael Bautista "Hicham El Guerrouj proved again today that he is a symbol of excellence, perseverance, and bravery for all mankind. He has worked so hard for all that he has achieved but yet coming into these Olympic Games he was missing the one prize that he wanted most, the Olympic Gold medal. Instead of giving up after his hardships in the previous two Olympics, he relentlessly continued on his epic quest. After a hard fought battle he finally achieved his lifelong dream of winning the Olympic Gold medal in the 1500 meters. But it didn't stop there, Hicham chose to go after athletics immortality. He completed a legendary distance double and followed in the footsteps of Paavo Nurmi. It was a historically epic clash of the titans and only one person could win, it was Hicham. His combination of talent, tactics, and desire pushed him to the finish line first. He ran a perfectly executed 5000 meters race and became an Olympic champion yet again. In achieving his goal of two Olympic Gold medals he showed us what is possible if you never give up, always believe in yourself, and give it your all in the quest for perfection. The time has come not for us to surrender in the face of challenge, but to see it as an opportunity for us to demonstrate ourselves as a hero like Hicham. He has shown the whole world today that he is one of the greatest distance runners in all of history. Hicham El Guerrouj's legacy is now immortal and he will be remembered for ages as one of the greatest legends of all time." Olympic Games - Athens, Greece - August 28th, 2004, 21:05 - Mens 5000m Final World Record 12:37.35 Kenenisa Bekele ETH Hengelo 5-31-2004 Meeting Record 13:05.59 Said Aouita MAR Los Angeles 8-11-1984 World Lead 12:37.35 Kenenisa Bekele ETH Hengelo 5-31-2004 Position Name Country Dob Bib Order Time 1 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 9-14-74 2469 12 13:14.39 2 Kenenisa Bekele ETH 6-13-82 1657 11 13:14.59 3 Eliud Kipchoge KEN 11-5-84 2342 10 13:15.10 4 Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam ETH 12-10-84 1664 6 13:15.35 5 Dejene Berhanu ETH 12-12-80 1658 2 13:16.92 6 John Kibowen KEN 4-21-69 2340 13 13:18.24 7 Zersenay Tadesse ERI 2-8-82 1553 9 13:24.31 8 Craig Mottram AUS 6-18-80 1080 14 13:25.70 9 Hicham Bellani MAR 9-15-79 2461 8 13:31.81 10 Ali Saidi-Sief ALG 3-15-78 1024 4 13:32.57 11 Tim Broe USA 6-20-77 3232 15 13:33.06 12 Alistair Ian Cragg IRL 6-13-80 2129 3 13:43.06 13 Abderrahim Goumri MAR 5-21-76 2477 5 13:47.27 14 Samir Moussaoui ALG 5-15-75 1021 7 14:02.01 -- Abraham Chebii KEN 12-23-79 2334 1 DNF Intermediate Times: 1000m: Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam ETH 2:58.46 2000m: Eliud Kipchoge KEN 5:35.99(2:37.53) 3000m: Kenenisa Bekele ETH 8:10.89(2:34.90) 4000m: Eliud Kipchoge KEN 10:48.62(2:37.73) 5000m: Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 13:14.39(2:25.77) Unofficial Final 100m Split(from tv slow mo replay estimation): 12.79 Unofficial Final 200m Split(from tv slow mo replay estimation): 25.39 Unofficial Final 300m Split(from tv slow mo replay estimation): 38.69 Unofficial Final 400m Split(from tv split): 52.93 Weather Conditions: Temperature: 26°C/78.8°F Humidity: 34% Conditions: Partly Cloudy Iaaf article Meet website Event pictures ------------------------------------------- Date Location Distance Time Place 8-25-2004 Athens 5000 13:21.87 3 Hicham El Guerrouj ran in his 5000m heat today and qualified easily for the Athens Olympics Mens 5000m final. Last night at 11:40pm Hicham El Guerrouj won his long awaited Olympic Gold medal in the Mens 1500 meters. 20 hours later he came back to complete his bid to qualify for the Athens Olympics Mens 5000m final. He ran in the 5000m final last year in the World Championships in Paris. It was supposed to be a dual between Hicham El Guerrouj(Mens 1500m winner there) and Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia(Mens 10000m winner there). Most people didn't give much thought to other people for the World Championships Gold medal but amazingly the young Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge suprised the world with his Gold medal winning performance. Bekele set a blazing pace for the first 3km. After a slow 4th kilometer Hicham led the last 900 meters on an extremely fast pace. Kenenisa Bekele and Eliud Kipchoge stuck close and the three were together with 100m to go as they started their final attacks. Eliud Kipchoge edged Hicham El Guerrouj at the line by .04 of a second in one of the greatest 5000m races in history as Kenenisa Bekele held on for third. Both Hicham and Kenenisa were shocked while Eliud was elated. This year all three are back again but have taken different paths this time around. So far this year Kenenisa Bekele has taken down the great Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia's world records in the Mens 5000m and 10000m but has shown himself vulnerable by pulling out of his final pre Olympic race with an injury. He dispelled any thoughts of his weakness though with an Olympic record victory in the Mens 10000m over Sileshi Sihine of Ethiopia and Haile Gebrselassie by running a 53.02 final last lap. So far this year Eliud Kipchoge has been very impressive as well with victories over Saif Saaeed Shaheen(Stephen Cherono) of Qatar and Bernard Lagat of Kenya early in the season. He followed that up by winning the Kenyan Olympic Trials 5000m in a Kenyan soil record and then running 12:46.53 in the 5000m to hold off an amazing charge by Sileshi Sihine. Hicham El Guerrouj has had a different story to the season. After last year's World Championships he got married to Najoua Lahbil and had a baby daughter named Hiba("Gift From God"). He hoped to start his season strong but got a shock to his system in his first 1500m race of the season as he only ran 3:36.46 and barely won. A month later he faced Bernard Lagat and Mehdi Baala of France in a 1500m in Rome but was 4th behind them in the final meters before fading to 8th place as former training partner Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain won the race. That was a crushing and suprising defeat for him which he followed up four days later with a difficult 1500m victory over Isaac Songok of Kenya. People were starting to doubt he would win Olympic Gold but a month later he ran 3:29.18 in a 1500m victory to regain confidence. Soon afterwards he headed into a rematch with Bernard Lagat in the Weltklasse Zurich 1500m and ran an amazing 3:27.64 but Lagat was even more amazing by outkicking him in the final meters. So going into the Olympics he had less pressure on him as he was only a co-favorite(with Lagat in the 1500m), not a straight favorite. He ran the greatest race of his life last night in the Olympics Mens 1500m final by running the final 800m in 1:46.8 to hold off Bernard Lagat of Kenya after being passed in the final meters by him before coming back to win Olympic Gold. Hicham was apparently so overjoyed last night after winning the 1500m he didn't get any sleep later that night. All three of the top favorites in the Mens 5000m here have had different stories coming into the Olympics and it will be very interesting to see how it turns out. Kenenisa Bekele won the 10000m and Hicham El Guerrouj won the 1500m but who will win the 5000m? I vote for Hicham! The race started out with Guenther Weidlinger of Austria taking the lead immediately and pressing the pace. He was soon followed by Sergiy Lebid of the Ukraine. Kenenisa Bekele and Hicham El Guerrouj followed in 3rd and 4th and stayed in those positions for most of the race. They were content to relax early while the less fit runners wanted to press the pace in hopes of eventually making it to the final on time. Weidlinger hit the 1km mark in 2:41.86 followed by Lebid and Switzerland's Christian Belz. After this he and Belz traded the lead for a while and continued to not let the pace slow too much. During this time Abraham Chebii of Kenya, Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam of Ethiopia, and Craig Mottram of Australia were also positioned near the front. Weidlinger continued to hit the 2km mark in 5:22.21 and the 3km mark in 8:07.42. Alistair Cragg of Ireland took the lead after 3km for a minute and a half over Abraham Chebii, Bekele, El Guerrouj, Gebremariam, and Mottram. Abraham Chebii soon did some leading and led them through the 4km mark in 10:53.34 as many people were still in contention. At this point the order was Chebii, Bekele, Cragg, El Guerrouj, and Gebremariam as Bekele took over the lead immediately after the 4km mark. Hicham El Guerrouj immediately covered Bekele's move and positioned himself in second position. With two laps to go Gebremariam, Chebii, Mottram, and Cragg were following right behind the Golden Duo. With a lap to go those six were in the front group along with Hicham Bellani of Morocco and Samir Moussaoui of Algeria as a pack of eight had a slight gap on the field. With 300m to go Bekele led with Hicham right behind and Gebremariam to his right. Hicham didn't want to get trapped so for a moment on the backstretch Hicham took over the lead and pushed the pace. Just a few moments later Bekele took back the lead as Hicham decided to qualify on a relaxed pace. With 200m to go the top group consisted of Bekele, El Guerrouj, Gebremariam, Mottram, and Chebii as they had a slight gap on the next three racers. In the final 100m he was blocked in front by both Bekele and Gebremariam and he decided to relax and let them sprint away at the end. He relaxed at the end and Bekele and Gebremariam went 1-2 with him and Mottram soon behind, followed by Chebii. He completed his qualification for the final on Saturday by finishing in third place. Right after the race Hicham walked over to a lane marker where he took off his shoes and looked at his feet. Apparently his shoes were too small and were uncomfortable and he got blisters. But he will have new shoes on Saturday for the final and says he'll be all right. The second semifinal included Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya, the final of the top 3 favorites for the Olympic Gold medal. Kipchoge had an easy qualification as he finished second. He was outkicked by Ali Saidi-Sief of Algeria as he held off Dejene Birhanu of Ethiopia. The Athens Olympics Mens 5000m final looks to be the most exciting Mens track race of these Games along with the Mens 1500m. Whoever comes out the victor will have conquered one the strongest fields ever assembled for a 5000m. Hicham El Guerrouj has already achieved his Olympic dream of winning the Mens 1500m Gold medal and the Mens 5000m is the extra bonus. But I believe that he'll attack the 5000m with a similar amount of aggression as the 1500m. Hicham El Guerrouj hopes to become the first Olympic champion in the 1500m and 5000m at the same games since the great Paavo Nurmi of Finland in 1924. Kenenisa Bekele hopes to become the first Olympic champion in the 10000m and the 5000m at the same games since the amazing Ethiopian Miruts Yifter in 1980. Will Hicham complete the historic double or will it be Kenenisa Bekele? Or will another suprise winner like Eliud Kipchoge emerge? The Athens Olympics Mens 5000m final will be an epic battle which will shape the legacy of the winner. My victory vote is on Hicham El Guerrouj! Hicham El Guerrouj quotes after the race: "Last night I didn't sleep as I was excited from winning the Gold medal. I am happy to have qualified for the final, especially because my shoes were too small and they were hurting me. But I have new shoes coming in for tomorrow's race so I should be alright. It was tough but I tried to run easy. I have already shared the pleasure of my victory with some of those closest to me, but I have not had time to phone my mother yet." Eliud Kipchoge quotes after his heat 2 race: "This was just semifinal. Let’s talk after Saturday." Olympic Games - Athens, Greece - August 25th, 2004, 19:50 - Mens 5000m Heat 1 World Record 12:37.35 Kenenisa Bekele ETH Hengelo 5-31-2004 Meeting Record 13:05.59 Said Aouita MAR Los Angeles 8-11-1984 World Lead 12:37.35 Kenenisa Bekele ETH Hengelo 5-31-2004 Position Name Country Dob Bib Order Time 1 Kenenisa Bekele ETH 6-13-82 1657 18 13:21.16 Q 2 Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam ETH 12-10-84 1664 16 13:21.20 Q 3 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 9-14-74 2469 14 13:21.87 Q 4 Craig Mottram AUS 6-18-1980 1080 4 13:21.88 Q 5 Abraham Chebii KEN 12-23-79 2334 8 13:22.30 Q 6 Hicham Bellani MAR 9-15-79 2461 7 13:22.64q 7 Alistair Cragg IRL 6-13-80 2129 3 13:23.01q 8 Samir Moussaoui ALG 5-15-75 1021 6 13:24.98q 9 Sultan Khamis Zaman QAT 7-23-85 2776 1 13:26.52 10 John Mayock GBR 10-26-70 1820 12 13:26.81 11 Guenther Weidlinger AUT 4-5-78 1108 2 13:29.32 12 Christian Belz SUI 9-11-74 3043 10 13:29.59 13 Alejandro Suarez MEX 11-30-1980 2531 5 13:35.32 14 Jonathon Riley USA 12-29-78 3331 17 13:38.79 15 Mohamed Abdelhak Zakaria BRN 7-20-74 1271 15 13:42.04 16 Monder Rizki BEL 8-16-79 1155 11 14:03.58 17 Sergiy Lebid UKR 7-15-75 3181 9 14:10.23 -- Carlos Garcia ESP 8-20-75 1586 13 DNF Qualification Rule: First 5 in each heat(Q) and the next 5 fastest(q) advance Intermediate Times: 1000m: Guenther Weidlinger AUT 2:41.86 2000m: Guenther Weidlinger AUT 5:22.21(2:40.35) 3000m: Guenther Weidlinger AUT 8:07.42(2:45.21) 4000m: Abraham Chebii KEN 10:53.34(2:45.92) 5000m: Kenenisa Bekele ETH 13:21.16(2:27.82) Weather Conditions: Temperature: 31°C/87.8°F Humidity: 27% Conditions: Sunny Iaaf article Meet website Event pictures ------------------------------------------- Date Location Distance Time Place 8-24-2004 Athens 1500 3:40.87 1 HICHAM EL GUERROUJ IS OLYMPIC CHAMPION!!! He won the Olympic Mens 1500m Gold Medal!!! He fulfilled his lifelong dream after so much hard work and perserverance after previous losses. Today he will go down in history as the greatest miler of all time. He ran his greatest race of all time to win today in Athens. Truly and unforgettable moment in athletics history and one of the epic battles of all time. It has definetely been a memorable story for Hicham El Guerrouj in his life. He started as a goalkeeper in soccer but then started running long distance. Then he changed specialties to the 1500m with more success. In the Atlanta Olympics 1500m final in 1996 he was a co-favorite along with Noureddine Morceli of Algeria going into the race. He challenged Morceli with a lap to go, but the two collided and Hicham El Guerrouj fell. He finished the race in last place while Morceli won the Gold medal. Hicham cried tears of sadness but found the will to go on. He would not give up and continued to chase after his dream of Olympic Gold. After that race he asserted his dominance by losing only one 1500m or mile race before Sydney Olympics 1500m final. This series of races included 5 world records and 3 1500m World Championship victories. In the Sydney 2000 race he was an overwhelming favorite for Gold but in the final meters Noah Ngeny of Kenya surged past him to take the victory. Hicham El Guerrouj once again showed heart and wouldn't give up as he continued on his quest for the Olympic Gold medal. In 2001-2003 Hicham didn't lose a single 1500m or mile race. He won three World Championship Gold medals, and a silver medal as well. With all this success some people believed Olympic Gold would come easy for him in Athens, but that was not the story. Between last year's world championships and the start of this years season he got married to Najoua Lahbil and had a baby daughter named Hiba, which means "Gift From God". He hoped that he would have a great season and would finish it with an Olympic Gold medal. But this year he had struggles with allergy problems that affected his training. In the Rome Golden Gala 1500m race he struggled home in 8th place behind Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain, Bernard Lagat of Kenya, and Mehdi Baala of France, among others. He improved as the season progressed but in the Weltklasse Zurich 1500m earlier this month he found out he needed to improve even more, the hard way. He ran 3:27.64 but was outkicked at the end by the impressive Bernard Lagat. This resulted in Hicham not being an overwhelming favorite for the Olympics and less pressure. He became a co-favorite along with Bernard Lagat, just as he was in 1996 along with Noureddine Morceli. Hicham believes this is an advantage and I agree. Hicham dominated his opening heat and his semifinal in these Olympics and headed into the final hoping to claim the only title that has eluded him for so many years. The Olympic Gold Medal. The 1500m had a false start, which is extremely rare for the event. Hicham El Guerrouj was in lane 2 and Bernard Lagat was in lane 3, tough lanes to start in. Before the race people were wondering what Adil El Kaouch of Morocco would do. In the outdoor World Championships 1500m final in 1999 and 2001 he rabbited the race for Hicham, making it easier for Hicham to win. People were wondering if he would do it again. He impressed in winning the first semifinal over Bernard Lagat and is having his best year ever. Hicham El Guerrouj started in lane 2 while Bernard Lagat started in lane 3, tough lanes. The race started out with Hicham going straight to last. Also Adil El Kaouch didn't set the pace as many people expected. The three Kenyans and Mulugeta Wendimu of Ethiopia went to the front after 200m. Hicham was in the middle of the pack in lane 2 as Adil El Kaouch was in last. Not much changed in the next 200m as Isaac Kiprono Songok led the first 400m in a time of 60.42, very slow. Places 5-7 were occupied at this time by Hicham El Guerrouj, Ivan Heshko of the Ukraine, and Reyes Estevez of Spain. Estevez took over the lead from Bernard Lagat at about the 500m mark but didn't press the pace, also at about this time Hicham El Guerrouj was moving into the top 3. With 800m to go Hicham El Guerrouj took over the lead from Bernard Lagat and Reyes Estevez. The pack was still tight with Wendimu, Heshko, and Timothy Kiptanui of Kenya nearby also. Hicham hit the 800m mark in 2:01.93 which meant a second lap of only 61.51, very slow. Bernard Lagat was immediately behind Hicham at this moment. The other people nearby were Estevez, Wendimu, Heshko, and Kamal Boulahfane of Algeria as Kiptanui dropped back a tad. Hicham El Guerrouj started to wind up the pace and the pack spread out some but there were many people still in contention. With 500m to go Hicham led Bernard with Wendimu, Heshko, and Estevez nearby as well. With a lap to go those 5 were still in similar position with the entire field only 2 seconds apart. Hicham led at the bell and hit the 1200m mark in 2:55.21 which meant an amazing 3rd lap of 53.28. Surely he was hoping to burn off the kick of other racers. At the 1200m mark Hicham, Bernard, and a suprising Heshko had a slight gap on the field. Heshko was going for the Gold as Rui Silva of Portugal joined Estevez and Wendimu. Silva was last with 500m to go and was now having the race of his life. With 100m to go Hicham led a blazingly fast pace but Bernard Lagat was right on his shoulder poised to attack. Rui Silva had amazingly moved up to third right above Heshko as Kiptanui held a slight advantage over Estevez. Bernard Lagat attacked with 100m to go and with 70m to go he passed Hicham El Guerrouj! Hicham wouldn't give up and with 50m to go he summoned up the strength for an extra gear. He pulled up to Lagat and they fought impressively side by side before Hicham took the lead with 20 meters to go. He worked hard to the very end and won the race by .12 of a second over Bernard Lagat! He ran the last 800m of the race in 1:46.70, by far the fastest closing 800m ever in an Olympic 1500m race. It was a second faster than his official pr and he needed all of those 800 meters to burn off Bernard Lagat. Hicham El Guerrouj is The Olympic Champion!!! He realized his Olympic Dream in his third try and like they say, "third times a charm". Bernard Lagat and Rui Silva were very impressive in this race also as Bernard Lagat led a little bit early, and passed Hicham for a while in the homestretch. Rui Silva was in last place with 500m to go and moved up to win the bronze medal with a last lap of about 50.5! Neither of them could match Hicham. It should be noted that Hicham always pins a piece of red or black cloth on his singlet before a race. Today it was a red cloth and it symbolizes Hicham's stance against doping in sport. I think the colors symbolize blood and death. Hicham is a clean athlete who shows what is truly possible with your mind and training, not chemicals. Hicham was also wearing a yellow wristband on his left wrist. This is a "Live Strong" wristband which was introduced by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Lance Armstrong is a cancer survivor who came back to win five straight cycling Tour De France events and it shows that he lives strong. Hicham El Guerrouj seems to have drawn some motivation from that popular wristband. All of his preparation payed off today! Hicham El Guerrouj collapsed onto the track and started crying tears of joy as he hugged silver medalist Bernard Lagat of Kenya and his teammate Adil El Kaouch of Morocco. He got up and took off on a victory lap which was well deserved. He went to his family and kissed his daugher Hiba, his wife Najoua, his father El Ayachi, and other family/friends. He draped himself proudly in a Moroccan flag as he made his way around the track. He started to dance to the song Sirtaki(Zorba The Greek) that played over the loudspeakers, much to the delight of the Greek crowd here. He got a phone call from King Mohammed VI of Morocco during the lap and got congratulated for winning the Olympic Gold medal. After the losses in the 1996 and 2000 Olympic races he got a call both times from the Moroccan King telling him he was still a champion and not to give up. This was a different call as Hicham finally realized his dream of Olympic Gold! Hicham El Guerrouj is the greatest middle distance runner ever and The King Of The Mile. But he has yet another title as he is THE OLYMPIC CHAMPION!!! Hicham El Guerrouj quotes before the Sydney Olympics Mens 1500m Final: "I was crying on my way to the stadium. I didn't want to go. I had made the race into too big a thing. Everybody in Morocco was sure I was going to win." Hicham El Guerrouj quotes after the Rome Golden Gala Mens 1500m loss earlier this year: "I was wondering if I had a heart problem. I was asking myself, 'Are you going to die or what?' I was waking up in the middle of the night and having to open the window to breathe." Hicham El Guerrouj quotes before today's race: "Hopefully my daughter will be able to say 'I was born in 2004, the year my father became an Olympic winner'." Hicham El Guerrouj quotes after the race: "This is the greatest day of my life. I can’t express my feelings. I'm living a moment of glory. I’ve had a horrible year, extremely difficult. Now at last I am Olympic champion. This medal is for the King and my little daughter, Hiba. I lost in Sydney because I trained too hard, I ran out of energy in my legs. But this time I had the extra gas. I simply did not want to lose. The last few metres I just refused to let him go. I was so desperate for the title that I had to hold on such was the desire in me to win. Four years ago, I was crying tears of sadness, and today I'm crying tears of joy. I'm like a five-year-old, living something wonderful with the people I love and people who love me. I had some very difficult moments this season. That's the kind of test that makes great athletes. There were times I didn't even know if I was going to the Olympics, and I was only ranked eighth in the world. But I eventually managed to come back, thanks to my determination, and the support of my family, coach and federation. I just cannot express my joy. When we went through the 800m mark at over 2 minutes, I knew that the pace was slow and I had to speed up. I went up a gear at 400m out. I sped up again with 300m to go but each time Lagat came back at me. In the homestretch when he came back at me again, it felt like an avalanche. In the last 50 meters, the first thing I thought about was Sydney because Noah Ngeny overtook me, I just didn't have any more energy. But today, when Lagat caught me, I managed to find the strength for the last kick. I've had some really difficult moments in my career. I came from very far down. You might say I'm very deserving, maybe more than most because I've had a very difficult time between Atlanta and today, and now I've come to a city where the Games were revived in 1896 and it's history that is being recorded here. I am very happy for my friends, for my family and the king. I thank the Moroccan and Arabic people for their support. I'm so happy. The race was very difficult. I started powerfully. I hope to do the same in the 5000m. This year was really a tough year, a hard year, an Olympic year. I won the race, but I have to say that I really respect Lagat and the level he's been running at this year. It's great for everybody that he's doing so well and It's great for the sport. It is finally complete." (On Morocco's King Mohamed VI congratulating him): "He was super happy. He will go on supporting me." (On the 5000m): "I'm really hungry for tomorrow. I have a huge desire to win the Gold. It will be a great battle with the Kenyans. Things won't be like last year. I won't have the same tactics." (On whether it was his last 1500m): "I might be taking a year off in 2005-2006, but Inshallah, I will be defending my Olympic title." (On his three month old daughter Hiba): "My family has always supported me. When I got married last year to a lovely girl I knew for five months, we had a little girl. That was the little girl I kissed. I ran for her today. I'm happy for her. Her name is Hiba. Her name means, "Gift from God". I think that medal was a gift from God." Bernard Lagat quotes after the race: "He has now achieved it all. He deserves it. Hicham pulled it out today. He was a strong athlete. He was stronger mentally. He ran so hard. I gave my all, I had nothing left. I am really happy for him and I was the first to congratulate him. I couldn't have asked any more of myself. El Guerrouj came here to show that nobody's ever going to be able to count him out and he proved that. I congratulate him. He's a great champion. I knew it was going to come down to the kick. Today, I stayed just right behind him. In the last 50m, I thought it might be like in Zurich. But Hicham just had the best kick. Today was a great day. I'm happy for his Gold. I'm happy for my silver. I did not win because I gave 100% and El Guerrouj gave 101%. I came on strong, and he was stronger today. I'm really, really happy for him. This is what he wanted, and he wanted it real bad....This was everything he was working for. That is for sure. Hicham El Guerrouj is a classy athlete and I really like him. His credentials were only missing one thing, and that's Olympic Gold. And I came into this race knowing he wanted this one so bad. It was very emotional. You have to feel for him. You know he's deserving. There was no miscalculation of his kick. This silver medal inspires me a lot because I want to be Olympic champion in Beijing. Maybe in my third Olympic Games, I can get a Gold." Rui Silva quotes after the race: "You don't get that strength from anywhere. This is within yourself if you want to win a medal." Moroccan King Hassan II quotes to Hicham after his loss in the Atlanta Olympics 1500m in 1996: "Do not cry. You are a champion in the eyes of the Moroccan people. Don't feel under pressure. Forget about this. You must persevere. There will be other Olympics. You will win again." Abdelkader Kada(Hicham El Guerrouj's coach) quotes after the race: "Before this race, Hicham had won everything except the Olympic title. Now I think he can truly claim to be the greatest miler in history. We've been working 17 years for this. In Atlanta he had bad luck. In Sydney, he had health problems and he was three months behind in his preparation. It had become a psychological complex. The Olympic medal was all that was left. Now, for me, today he becomes the best miler in history." Nawad El Moutawakel(Moroccan Olympic Gold medalist in womens 400m hurdles in 1984) quotes after the race: "He is a hero. Morocco will be crazy. Now, it must be wild. When I won in 84, it was wild. He accomplished a great dream. He had almost everything, every single record and every single title. But this was missing....Now it's wild in Morocco. The last 50 meters, I almost died. (On the other racers) Even though they were running against him, they still admired him and they wanted his dream to come true. They all went up to him to help him walk and kiss him and hug him. That shows you how much respect these guys have for Hicham El Guerrouj. This means to much for the youth of the country. Hicham is a hero, a great role model for generations yet to come. He has worked for this for a long time. It was all about dedication and willpower and guts. Tonight he has proved he is the best in the world. It means so much. Every person in Morocco was praying for him today. He was under a lot of pressure. When you get to the top, you're not even allowed to have a cold or flu. We Moroccans are used to first place. Even if we get second, we're not happy. We want him at the peak." Steve Cram of Great Britain(Former world record holder in 1500m and mile) quotes after the race: "He's the greatest miler in the current era. Winning the Olympic Gold medal is the icing on the cake, and I know from speaking to him it means so much to him. It's the fulfillment for him that he deserves." Mustafa Alaoui(Trainer in Morocco) quotes after the race: "Everybody in my country loves him. He has done everything you could possibly do. He has won four world championships. This is the only thing that is missing." Aziz Daouda(Morocco's coaching technical director) quotes after the race: "In 1984 we wanted this medal, but the risk was very big (with Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovett and Steve Cram on the scene). So we decided to push Aouita to the 5000m where his chances were better. Aouita attempted the 800m and 1500m double in Seoul in 1988, but tore his hamstring winning the 800m bronze medal and withdrew from the metric mile. We also had Rachid El Basir win the silver(behind Spain's Fermin Cacho) in Barcelona in 1992. But the 1500m is very hard to win. Many things can happen in such a short time. You have to be very clever to react at the right moment." John Walker(Olympics 1500m champion in 1976) quotes after the race: "He is number one. It would have been a travesty if he hadn't won. He deserves his place as an Olympic champion. You can't compare eras. He should have won in Atlanta and in Sydney. When I won I was in the lead with 500m to run. He went to the front 800m out. That was the right tactic. He showed just how good a competitor he is. For much of the year in Europe these guys run in races with three pacemakers which ensures there is always a fast pace. A lot of these runners don't get to run too often off a slow pace. If the final had been run at 3m 30s pace, the Kenyan [Bernard Lagat] would have beaten him. With the race being run at a slower pace it allowed El Guerrouj to produce a big kick. But even then, when Lagat got alongside him I thought he was gone and it was going to be Sydney all over again. That would have been a crying shame. The best man won. Unlike the 1500m in Montreal, when we raced three days in a row, he has had two days' rest between his races here. That allows you to race flat out. In the 5000m much will depend on how the Ethiopians run. If they gamble on a slow pace, he [El Guerrouj] can win it. (Walker said El Guerrouj's victory "made the Games for me"). (Walker said that from the time El Guerrouj "whacked in a 53s lap in the semifinals and kept it going" he was confident he could take the final.)" Perdita Felicien(2003 World Championships Womens 100m hurdles Gold medalist) quotes after the race: "He came full circle and his victory was so much sweeter. No great athlete has had a straight road. There's bumps." Donovan Bailey(1996 Olympics Mens 100m Gold Medalist) quotes after the race: "It was one of the moments I will always remember." Bob Costas(United States of America's NBC television network Olympic anchor) quotes after the race: "Elite athletes and top coaches pretty much will all tell you it doesn't get any more impressive than surrendering the lead in the stretch as El Guerrouj did, and then somehow summoning a reserve to meet a challenge and beat it. El Guerrouj gets his long awaited Olympic title in a race that in a sense, also defined his athletic character. In closing tonight a story that has come full circle. Eight years ago at the Atlanta Games, Hicham El Guerrouj fell in the 1500 meters. He had a chance to win, and he finished last. Minutes later, still on the track, he received a phone call. It was Morocco's King Hassan, who told him, 'You are still a champion in the eyes of the Moroccan people.' Tonight there was another immediate postrace phone call. This time from the son, Mohamed the Sixth. 'The King', said the new Olympic champion, 'was super happy.'" Tom Hammond comments in the final 200m of the Athens Olympics Mens 1500m Final on the NBC television station: Tom Hammond: "El Guerrouj has been dominant but has not been able to win Olympic Gold. Will this be the time in Athens? Lagat moves an inch closer. El Guerrouj still in front, Lagat still on his heels, here's the home straightaway. El Guerrouj and Lagat! El Guerrouj still holding him off! Lagat making the final surge at him! El Guerrouj and Lagat! El Guerrouj comes back again! El Guerrouj! Lagat! To the line! El Guerrouj got it!!! Finally realizes his Olympic Dream!!" Personal note from www.kingofthemile.com webmaster Michael Bautista "Hicham El Guerrouj proved today what we all know is possible in humanity. After all those setbacks, all those hardships, and all those disappointments, he comes back today and runs the greatest race of his entire life. The payoff could not be more rewarding for his efforts. Hicham El Guerrouj became the Olympic champion today. By winning the Olympics Mens 1500 meters final he not only establishes himself as the greatest middle distance runner in history but also as one of the greatest role models mankind has ever known. Out of all history how many people have ever shown the type of heart, perseverance, and character that Hicham El Guerrouj has? It's rare to find somebody so dedicated to his sport, so passionate about being the best, and so brave in the face of adversity. After his loss in Atlanta, he came back. After his loss in Sydney, he came back. After his losses this season, he still came back. After being passed in the homestretch today in the race, he came back. After all the deep wounds, the crushing losses, and the cold tears, he has somehow found the strength within himself to do something extraordinary. In accomplishing his lifelong dream of Olympic Gold, he has shown us what we all must believe is possible within our own lives. If Hicham El Guerrouj can do it, then surely we can as well. He is an inspiration to many athletes in showing that if you work hard and never give up you can achieve monumental feats. Hicham El Guerrouj showed us the heartbreaking lows of defeat, the euphoric highs of victory, but most importantly the true bravery of humanity. Hicham El Guerrouj is a true champion and The King Of The Mile!" Olympic Games - Athens, Greece - August 24th, 2004, 23:40 - Mens 1500m Final World Record 3:26.00 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR Rome 7-14-1998 Meeting Record 3:32.07 Noah Ngeny KEN Sydney 9-29-2000 World Lead 3:27.40 Bernard Lagat KEN Zurich 8-6-2004 Position Name Country Dob Bib Order Time 1 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 9-14-74 2469 2 3:34.18 2 Bernard Lagat KEN 12-12-74 2348 3 3:34.30 3 Rui Silva POR 8-3-77 2749 9 3:34.68 4 Timothy Kiptanui KEN 1-5-80 2344 4 3:35.61 5 Ivan Heshko UKR 8-19-79 3172 12 3:35.82 6 Michael East GBR 1-20-78 1802 10 3:36.33 7 Reyes Estevez ESP 8-2-76 1576 6 3:36.63 8 Gert-Jan Liefers NED 9-26-78 2570 5 3:37.17 9 Adil El Kaouch MAR 1-1-79 2481 7 3:38.26 10 Mulugeta Wendimu ETH 12-28-85 1677 8 3:38.33 11 Kamal Boulahfane ALG 7-1-76 1014 11 3:39.02 12 Isaac Kiprono Songok KEN 4-25-84 2358 1 3:41.72 Intermediate Times: 400m: Isaac Kiprono Songok KEN 1:00.42 800m: Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 2:01.93(61.51) 1200m: Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 2:55.21(53.28) 1500m: Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 3:34.18(38.97) Unofficial Final 400m Split: 51.91 Unofficial Final 800m Split: 1:46.8 Unofficial 100m Splits for leader, from British statistician Mark Butler 100m - 13.2 200m - 15.0 300m - 16.6 400m - 15.7 500m - 16.1 600m - 15.6 700m - 15.4 800m - 14.4 900m - 13.7 1000m - 13.4 1100m - 13.3 1200m - 12.9 1300m - 12.8 1400m - 12.7 1500m - 13.4 Weather Conditions: Temperature: 26°C/78.8°F Humidity: 47% Conditions: Sunny Iaaf article Meet website Event pictures ------------------------------------------- Date Location Distance Time Place 8-22-2004 Athens 1500 3:40.87 1 Hicham El Guerrouj won his 1500m semifinal today in the Athens Olympics. Starting the race his top two rivals today were Timothy Kiptanui of Kenya and Mulugeta Wendimu of Ethiopia, although there were some other people who were capable of placing high. Hicham was in the second semifinal today. In the first semifinal countryman Adil El Kaouch of Morocco had an impressive and suprising victory over second placing Bernard Lagat of Kenya. Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain did not qualify for the final, he got his heel clipped by Tarek Boukensa of Algeria in the race, that messed up his chances. Adil was a pacemaker for Hicham in the World Championships 1500m races of 1999 and 2001. Ivan Heshko of Ukraine and Isaac Kiprono Songok of Kenya qualified from the first semifinal to the final. With this victory today Hicham qualifies for his third Olympic final and attempts to win Olympic Gold for the first time in Athens! Hicham took an early lead in the race today as he led through the first 400m in a time of 64.04. He continued to lead at 800m as he passed through in 2:07.19. At the 850m mark he sped up and stretched the field out. Mulugeta Wendimu of Ethiopia was in 2nd, followed by Alvaro Fernandez of Spain and Nicholas Willis of New Zealand. With a lap to go Rui Silva of Portugal began to make up ground on the field and pass racers. Hicham led at 1200m in 3:01.34 and was holding the race under firm control and command. He ran to an easy victory in 3:40.87. Rui Silva finished an impressive second in the race as Timothy Kiptanui of Kenya, Mulugeta Wendimu of Ethiopia, and Kamal Boulahfane of Algeria claimed the final qualifying spots. After the two semifinals were conducted both Hicham El Guerrouj and Bernard Lagat look to be the top threats for the Gold medal. Based on results of the season and results in Athens the other medal threats are Ivan Heshko of the Ukraine, Isaac Kiprono Songok of Kenya, Rui Silva of Portugal, Timothy Kiptanui of Kenya, and Mulugeta Wendimu of Ethiopia. Adil El Kaouch has been a championship rabbit for Hicham El Guerrouj so he may do so again. If he doesn't he has a shot at a bronze medal I believe. Hicham El Guerrouj is The King Of The Mile and the best middle distance runner in history! After dominating the world for so many years he goes into his third Olympic Games 1500m final in an attempt to win Gold. Third times a charm and this time he will do it! He has six world records, and a 108-8 win/loss record from 1996 to now, and an Olympic Silver Medal. He owns 8 Gold medals, 2 silver medals, and 1 bronze medal in World Championship events. He owns the second fastest 3000m time in history and is the tenth fastest 5000m performer in history. He has won the IAAF Male track and field athlete of the year award for three years in a row. He has proven himself to be the best miler of all time and his victory two days from now in the Olympic final will further prove his claim to fame. The time has come for Hicham El Guerrouj to win Olympic Gold. Go Hicham! Adil El Kaouch quotes after his victory in the first semifinal: "The only thing I can say is that I'm looking forward to the Olympic final. I had a small problem in my quadricep. My legs are OK now so it should be just fine for the final." Olympic Games - Athens, Greece - August 22nd, 2004, 22:01 - Mens 1500m Semifinal 2 World Record 3:26.00 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR Rome 7-14-1998 Meeting Record 3:32.07 Noah Ngeny KEN Sydney 9-29-2000 World Lead 3:27.40 Bernard Lagat KEN Zurich 8-6-2004 Position Name Country Dob Bib Order Time 1 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 9-14-74 2469 8 3:40.87 Q 2 Rui Silva POR 8-3-77 2749 4 3:40.99 Q 3 Timothy Kiptanui KEN 1-5-80 2344 3 3:41.04 Q 4 Mulugeta Wendimu ETH 12-28-85 1677 10 3:41.14 Q 5 Kamal Boulahfane ALG 7-1-76 1014 1 3:41.27 Q 6 Nicholas Willis NZL 4-25-83 2642 11 3:41.46 7 Alvaro Fernandez ESP 4-7-81 1577 6 3:42.01 8 Juan Carlos Higuero ESP 8-3-78 1594 5 3:42.13 9 Kevin Sullivan CAN 3-20-74 1324 7 3:42.86 10 Youssef Baba MAR 8-7-79 2460 9 3:42.96 11 Johan Cronje RSA 4-13-82 2813 12 3:44.41 12 Michal Sneberger CZE 6-23-78 1514 2 3:47.03 Qualification Rule: First 5 in each semifinal(Q) and the next 2 fastest(q) advance Intermediate Times: 400m Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 1:04.04 800m Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 2:07.19(63.15) 1200m Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 3:01.34(54.15) 1500m Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 3:40.87(39.53) Weather Conditions: Temperature: 29°C/84.2°F Humidity: 48% Conditions: Sky Clear Iaaf article Meet website Event pictures ------------------------------------------- Date Location Distance Time Place 8-20-2004 Athens 1500 3:37.86 1 Hicham El Guerrouj won his preliminary heat today in the Athens Olympic Games 1500m. He was entered in the first of three heats. The only other medal threat in his heat was Isaac Songok of Kenya so Hicham got into an easy heat. He is on his third and probably final try to claim the Olympic Gold medal in the Mens 1500m. He started smoothly today in his quest. The competitors in the first Mens 1500m heat were kept waiting 15 minutes on the track while the womens shot put medal ceremony took place but eventually they started. Isaac Songok of Kenya took the early lead in the race as Hicham was in about 5th place after 120m. At that moment the Moroccan born Frenchman Mounir Yemmouni tripped on Hicham's heels. Mounir Yemmouni then fell and took down Grant Robison of the USA as well. Luckily Hicham was not seriously affected by this incident. Songok led through 400m in 60.52 seconds and Alvaro Fernandez of Spain led through the 800m mark in 2:02.96. Then Hicham decided to take the lead and push the pace. He gapped Fernandez and Songok and held his lead to the end as Rui Silva of Portugal and Kamal Boulahfane of Algeria made late runs to secure the final two auto qualifying spots. After the race Hicham waited at the line to shake hands with Roberto Caraciolo Mandje of Equatorial Guinea, who finished in 4:03.27 but set a national record. Hicham has made a great start on his 1500m Olympic Gold quest! Hicham said two days before the race in a press conference that the Mens 1500m would be "THE race of the games". He also said that: "The heats are so hard that even an athlete with a 3:30 personal best time could fail to make it through.". That was true because in the second heat the 2003 World Championships Silver medalist Mehdi Baala of France didn't qualify. Also not advancing is USA sensation Alan Webb, who has beaten Bernard Lagat this season. Mehdi Baala defeated Hicham El Guerrouj in Rome this year but lost to him in Zurich. He has been struggling with an ankle injury in the past couple of weeks and was unsure how well he could perform here. Alan Webb has not raced Hicham this year but has performed very well on the European circuit and was a potential Athens medalist. The fastest 24 athletes in the heats advanced and he was number 25 and missed qualifying by 11 hundredths of a second. Hicham's prediction was right! In the second heat Bernard Lagat of Kenya was nipped at the line by Reyes Estevez of Spain after Alan Webb of USA clipped Lagat's heels in the final 200m. Bernard Lagat qualifies for the semifinals but will run in the first semi while Hicham El Guerrouj will run in the second semi. The main challengers to Hicham in his semifinal race two days from now will be Timothy Kiptanui of Kenya and Mulugeta Wendimu of Ethiopia. An epic battle awaits to the two ultimate rivals! Hicham El Guerrouj quotes after the race: "You have to be very careful in the first round races as it is easy to fall. I hope that there will be three Moroccans in the final as it will make my task easier." Bernard Lagat quotes after the race: "It was rough out there and I knew anything could happen. The first round is always a matter of survival, these sorts of things happen." Olympic Games - Athens, Greece - August 20th, 2004, 19:40 - Mens 1500m Heat 1 World Record 3:26.00 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR Rome 7-14-1998 Meeting Record 3:32.07 Noah Ngeny KEN Sydney 9-29-2000 World Lead 3:27.40 Bernard Lagat KEN Zurich 8-6-2004 Position Name Country Dob Bib Order Time 1 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 9-14-74 2469 5 3:37.86 Q 2 Rui Silva POR 8-3-77 2749 1 3:37.98 Q 3 Alvaro Fernandez ESP 4-7-81 1577 10 3:38.34 Q 4 Kamal Boulahfane ALG 7-1-76 1014 12 3:38.59 Q 5 Isaac Kiprono Songok KEN 4-25-1984 2358 3 3:38.89 Q 6 Kevin Sullivan CAN 3-20-1974 1324 11 3:39.30q 7 Michal Sneberger CZE 6-23-78 1514 2 3:39.68q 8 James Nolan IRL 1-27-1977 2135 9 3:41.14q 9 Wolfram Mueller GER 7-8-81 1914 13 3:46.75 10 Mounir Yemmouni FRA 10-12-83 1775 7 3:51.08 11 Grant Robison USA 9-27-78 3335 8 3:53.66 12 Roberto Mandje Caraciolo GEQ 3-7-82 1857 6 4:03.37 NR -- Peter Roko Ashak SUD 8-15-84 3040 4 DNS Qualifying Rule: First 5 of each heat(Q) plus the 9 fastest losers(q) qualified Intermediate Times: 400m Isaac Kiprono Songok KEN 1:00.52 800m Alvaro Fernandez ESP 2:02.96(62.44) 1200m Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 2:58.12(55.16) 1500m Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 3:37.86(39.74) Weather Conditions: Temperature: 28°C/82.4°F Humidity: 45% Conditions: Sunny Iaaf article Meet website Event pictures ------------------------------------------- Date Location Distance Time Place 8-6-2004 Zurich 1500 3:27.64 2 Hicham El Guerrouj raced today in the Weltklasse Zurich 1500m. He ran his fastest 1500m time since 2002 but he unfortunately lost to his top rival, Bernard Lagat of Kenya. It was quite a battle with the final result being that both runners ran 3:27! Hicham El Guerrouj last faced Bernard Lagat in Rome where Lagat placed higher as both lost to Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain. Today's race was another story, however. Hicham El Guerrouj has won eight straight times in Zurich and was going for his 9th victory here. He started the race by following both of the pacemakers with Bernard Lagat right behind. Arthémon Hatungimana of Burundi was the first rabbit and was planning to hit 800m in 1:49.0, a very fast time. Craig Mottram fell in the first lap but Hicham and Bernard were unaffected by this event. Hatungimana went very fast on the first 400m as he split 52.87 for one lap. Hatungimana continued to set a hot pace as he ran 800m in a superb 1:50.13, world record pace! A little after 800m he stepped off the track and left the second rabbit, Benjamin Kipkurui of Kenya to attend to the pacesetting chores. Kipkurui did a fine job and led for about 200 meters more before Hicham started to make a move for the lead. With 500 meters left in the race Hicham started his usual kick from a long way out. Bernard Lagat was the only person that was able to handle this intense clip and the two were way ahead of the third place racer with one lap to go. Hicham tried to accelerate away from Bernard but it was impossible even as Hicham split 2:46.35 for 1200m. These two racers are the fastest ever in history over 1500m and they were right on world record pace together! El Guerrouj continued to press hard during the final lap as Lagat shadowed him in drafting mode. Bernard Lagat made his move in the final 100 meters as he attacked Hicham El Guerrouj and made his bid for the win. He eventually pulled up to Hicham with 70 meters to go, matched his pace, and then passed him with 30 meters to go. With 15 meters left in the race, Hicham saw that his kick would not be enough to win and he relaxed a little bit to allow Bernard to take the victory. Bernard Lagat defeated Hicham El Guerrouj as they both ran 3:27. Their times of 3:27.40 and 3:27.64 are the #10 and #12 fastest times ever for 1500m! Hicham El Guerrouj was defeated but there is a bright side to this situation. He ran his fastest time in the 1500m since 2002 and overcame his health problems from earlier in the season. He is now back in top shape after struggling earlier in the season with allergies. Bernard Lagat won but it took a superhuman effort from him to win, he pushed himself to the limit. He had to run his second fastest time ever in the event to win the race. It was an epic dual that will not soon be forgotten. There were other top competitors in the race today also. Although Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain was not there, Mehdi Baala of France was entered in the event. He had won the silver medal in last year's world championships in Paris. He had defeated Hicham in the Rome Golden Gala meet and this was his first race since then. He ended up only running 3:32.54 and getting fifth place. Hicham faced some more runners he will face in Athens. Although Timothy Kiptanui of Kenya, who is on the Kenyan Olympic team, did not race...the Kenyan Isaac Songok competed. Songok placed third place in 3:30.99, a personal best. The Kenyan Paul Korir and Alex Kipchirchir placed 4th and 6th but they are not on the Kenyan team this year. Today was a great final tuneup before the Olympics and a memorable competition. Hicham will want a fast pace in Athens in order to increase his chances at a Gold medal. His top rivals will be Bernard Lagat, Mehdi Baala, and Rashid Ramzi. Other potential medalists are Isaac Songok, Timothy Kiptanui, Ivan Heshko, and Alan Webb. The stage is set, the game is almost finished, now it is time for the closing move. The Athens Olympics 1500m is the final event. The time has come for Hicham to make his mark in the history books as Olympic Champion. He is already the world greatest miler of all time. He has achieved an Olympic silver medal, four world championships Gold medals, three indoor world championships Gold medals, six world records, and a 98-5 win/loss record in 1500/Mile/2000 races from 1996 to now. He has already achieved wondrous feats which stunned audiences worldwide and shattered all competitors in his races. He will continue on his quest for the Olympic Gold Medal in Athens. Hicham El Guerrouj Is The King Of The Mile! Hicham El Guerrouj quotes after the race: "I'm very happy with the race tonight. I ran very, very well. Everybody knows I was ill but I'm better now and my asthma is under control. Lagat ran an excellent race today, and I'm very happy for him. Yet, I still want to win the Gold in Athens and, so God will - Inch'Allah -, it will happen." Hicham El Guerrouj interview after the race(French): Listen to the interview Bernard Lagat quotes after the race: "It was great preparation for the Olympic Games. I did not expect such a fast time, but with 100m to go, I was confident to win it. This was what I had wanted for a long time, to beat a great man like Hicham. I will be ready in Athens for any race, slow or fast." Bernard Lagat interview after the race: Listen to the interview "For me you know I take one race at a time. Today you know I won it, I was not expecting to win first place. But today did I come here thinking of yes I can win? Yes I was having something in my mind you know. If I win today it was gonna be good. And yes I won today, and it's gonna be, it gives me more motivation for Athens, more than actually putting me on pressure, it gives me more confidence. (Interviewer says: 'To be honest now goal is the Gold for Athens for you.') It has been actually since last Olympics, you know I have been preparing myself knowing if I keep on training well, doing all the right things, and you know Olympics in 2004 was going to be Gold for me. That, nothing else. And you see it's been my aim, and my goal, all through. And I think you know this stepping stone, I mean uh sorry, this stepping thing for me, to go torwards Athens. And I think that is more preparation that I needed actually. (Interviewer says: 'Hicham gets stronger and stronger from race to race?') Absolutely. (Interviewer says: 'What do you think for Athens? What's gonna be ... even a faster race than today?') Ummmm, it's gonna be honestly hard to look at it in Athens that way. It's gonna be fast, nobody going to get it 1:49 for the 1500m. If any competitor who wants to win, runs 1:49 alone, I mean I tell you that that person is going to be out of medal contention. But you see it's going to be tactical, it's going to be slow, but you see it is experience that we have gained over the years that will make us win. So and I think that is what I am prepared to do myself. You know it's going to be slow, I have to do something you know. To work against it, other tactics you know?" Weltklasse Zurich - Zurich, Switzerland - August 6th, 2004, 21:35 - Mens 1500m 'A' Race World Record 3:26.00 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR Rome 7-14-1998 Meeting Record 3:26.45 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR Zurich 8-12-1998 World Lead 3:29.18 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR Heusden-Zolder 7-31-2004 Position Name Country Yob Bib Order Time 1 Bernard Lagat KEN 74 67 13 3:27.40 WL 2 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 74 63 14 3:27.64 SB 3 Isaac Songok KEN 84 74 11 3:30.99 PB 4 Paul Korir KEN 77 66 6 3:31.32 5 Mehdi Baala FRA 78 60 12 3:32.54 6 Alex Kipchirchir KEN 84 64 8 3:32.74 7 Laban Rotich KEN 69 71 2 3:34.11 8 Nick Willis NZL 83 76 9 3:34.53 9 Kevin Sullivan CAN 74 75 4 3:34.69 10 Vyacheslav Shabunin RUS 69 72 1 3:36.25 11 Michael East GBR 78 62 3 3:36.92 12 Rui Silva POR 77 73 5 3:37.99 13 Noah Ngeny KEN 78 70 10 3:40.46 14 Craig Mottram AUS 80 69 7 3:46.80 -- Arthémon Hatungimana BDI 74 78 16 DNF -- Benjamin Kipkurui KEN 80 77 15 DNF Official Splits: 400m Arthémon Hatungimana BDI 52.87 800m Arthémon Hatungimana BDI 1:50.13(57.26) 1200m Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 2:46.35(56.22) 1500m Bernard Lagat KEN 3:27.40(41.05) Extra Unofficial Splits: 39/53/1:36/1:50/2:20/2:32.9 Iaaf article Meet website Meet pictures ------------------------------------------- Date Location Distance Time Place 7-31-2004 Heusden-Zolder 1500 3:29.18 1 Hicham El Guerrouj won the 1500m today in the Night Of Athletics meeting in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium. It was his first race since winning the 1500m in the Athletissima meeting on July 6th in Laussane, Switzerland. Four days prior to that race he got a dissapointing 8th place finish in the Rome Golden Gala 1500m. So this win was very important to improve his confidence. He was originally scheduled to run the 1500m in the DN Galan meet in Stockholm on July 27th and the mile in the Norwich Union London Grand Prix meet in London on July 30th. He ended up not entering those races and instead asked Night Of Athletics meet director Wilfried Meert to enter him for today's 1500m race in Heusden-Zolder. In this race Hicham El Guerrouj stayed behind the rabbits Vincent Kemboi of Kenya and Laban Rotich of Kenya. It is unclear yet when exactly Hicham El Guerrouj took the lead. He displayed an impressive display of strength and speed as he ran an astonishing 54 second final lap on his way to an unchallenged victory. His world leading 1500m time of 3:29.18 was 2 seconds faster than the second place finisher, Mulugeta Wondimu of Ethiopia. Today's victory was very important to Hicham as there have been doubts about his 1500m races fitness lately. This summer he has talked about allergy problems which forced him to get on some medications and have also disrupted his training. He also talked about not going to Athens if he is not high in the world rankings and a top 1500m performer. With today's run El Guerrouj is better prepared for Athens. Hicham is now scheduled for one more race before the Olympics. He'll run in the Weltklasse Zurich 1500m on August 6th against a stellar field. Some of the top entrants in the race are Bernard Lagat, Mehdi Baala, Timothy Kiptanui, Isaac Songok, and Alan Webb. Hicham El Guerrouj is still The King Of The Mile and is showing he's coming into top form heading into the Olympics. Hicham El Guerrouj quotes before the race "My allergy problems are solved and things are going unexpectedly well in training. I want a pace that can bring me inside 3:28, because I want to arrive in Athens as the world leading performer. If any 1500m runner deserves to be the Olympic champion, it must be El Guerrouj. But I will take on the tournament like any other race, with as little pressure as possible. My next races in Heusden-Zolder and Zurich must help me to enjoy racing again. If you see me smile after saturdays 1500m, then I will feel relieved and confident." (translated roughly from Dutch language from meet website) "I have long had an allergy which prevented me to breathe properly. Of it I have been now released. Criticism in the press after the meeting of Rome has done me pain, but I have drawn strength from to go rock-hard against. I have never felt motivated this way. The past ten years I stood under heavy busy. Those have now been omitted. I am no more the favorite and that role lies me, however. Provisionally I will only run the 1,500 meters in Athens. He who best withstands heat, the humidity, and the three ranges to the final, makes the best chance on Gold. I want be that man. (On the KBC night in Heusden-Zolder El Guerrouj wants Hicham run certain 3:28 or less)The hares must let me pass after 800m in 1:49 and after 1200m in 2:47, afterwards I finish the matter, however." Hicham El Guerrouj quotes after the race "I am extremely happy today. I was running very smoothly. At a certain moment the pace dropped dramatically which left me 1.5 seconds behind schedule at the bell. It felt as if I could run below 3:27 today. My finishing speed proved to be very reliable; I'm prepared for all sorts of tactics now. Will I double 1500m and 5000m in Athens? Inch Allah, if God wants it. There has never been any doubt in my mind about my ability to do it. I think it is good preparation for the Olympics and I'm very happy with this run. I have been preparing for these games for eight years now. I've nearly got rid of the allergy problems which have hampered my winter preparations and which explain my under-par performance in Rome. Since then I've had several high quality training sessions, which prove that I've regained the essential of my form, which was confirmed this evening.I'm back, I'm cured and although there is still a little bit of tightness in the chest and throat I have never doubted my capabilities and I declare now that I will go for the Olympic double." Night Of Athletics - Heusden-Zolder, Belgium - July 31st, 2004, 19:25 - Mens 1500m 'A' Race World Record 3:26.00 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR Rome 7-14-1998 Meeting Record 3:31.54 Isaac Songok KEN Heusden-Zolder 8-2-2003 World Lead 3:29.21 Bernard Lagat KEN Paris 7-23-2004 Position Name Country Yob Bib Time 1 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 74 301 3:29.18 WL 2 Mulugeta Wondimu ETH 85 123 3:31.13 NR 3 Kamel Boulahfane ALG 76 140 3:32.44 PB 4 Youssef Baba MAR 79 135 3:33.01 PB 5 Benjamin Kipkurui KEN 80 103 3:33.22 SB 6 Tarek Boukensa ALG 81 139 3:33.34 7 Abdelslam Kennouche ALG 80 124 3:33.46 PB 8 William Chirchir KEN 79 109 3:33.99 SB 9 Manuel Damiao POR 78 138 3:34.37 PB 10 Charlie Gruber USA 78 106 3:34.71 PB 11 Hudson De Souza BRA 77 101 3:36.37 12 Augustine Choge KEN 87 102 3:36.64 13 Tim Clerbout BEL 81 114 3:37.50 PB 14 James Nolan IRL 77 112 3:37.85 SB -- Vincent Kemboi KEN 82 116 DNF -- Laban Rotich KEN 69 110 DNF Hicham El Guerrouj's unofficial splits 300m - 40.9 400m - 55.1 700m - 1:37.3 800m - 1:52.3(57.2) 1100m - 2:34.9 1200m - 2:48.6(56.3) 1500m - 3:29.18(40.58) Iaaf article Meet website Meet pictures ------------------------------------------- Date Location Distance Time Place 7-6-2004 Lausanne 1500 3:32.20 1 Hicham El Guerrouj won his 1500m race in the Athletissima meet in Lausanne, Switzerland today. Four days ago in the Rome Golden Gala 1500m race he suffered a rare defeat at the hands of former training partner Rashid Ramzi. Now with this win his Olympic plans are getting back on track. Hicham followed the rabbits through 400m(54.56) and 800m(1:52.33). He hit 1100m in 2:35 and had a 10m-15m lead over Isaac Songok of Kenya. El Guerrouj hit the 1200m(2:49.32) mark with a lead but Songok would end up closing fast. Hicham only ran 43 seconds for the last 300m and 57 seconds for the last 400m but that was good enough to win. Isaac Songok was near Hicham on the final 100m and even passed him slightly for a moment but Hicham passed him back. Hicham El Guerrouj was fighting hard in the final meters and drew on every ounce of energy he had to complete the victory. He used a sprinter type lean at the finish line to win by .02 of a second over Isaac Songok in one of his closest races ever. He was very happy after the race and was doing some dancing around later. Hicham won't have too much time for celebration though since he has to get back to serious training. Hicham revealed that his racing plans prior to Athens will include the Stockholm 1500m, London Mile, and Zurich 1500m. Amazingly this is the same exact racing schedule as Rashid Ramzi, the victor over him in last weekends Golden Gala 1500m in Rome. Hicham El Guerrouj will have three rematches with Rashid Ramzi before Athens! It will be very interesting and both of them will be in great shape for these battles. Go Hicham! Quotes by Hicham El Guerrouj before the race (On why he hasn't been to Athletissima since 1995) "I wish I could win in 1995, however I was only 3rd, which made me very depressed and I swore never to come back. This year, Jacky Delapierre has convinced me to come back and I absolutely don’t regret anything about it. I’m having a great time here in Lausanne and enjoy running along the lake. It’s a wonderful place." (After being asked about his breathing problems) "They aren’t solved yet. I have to take medicine every day which makes me feel very tired. I especially have difficulties in breathing after the training. My problems came out on the 16th of January. After having talked about it to my coach I went to Toulouse (France) to a specialized doctor. He discovered about 10 allergies and put me on a three-month treatment. As I said, I feel tired. The medication stops the problem but doesn’t cure it. I don’t feel too bad right now but I just can’t stop the treatment. I’m still training. However I’m very worried about going or not to the Olympics. I hope tonight will be ok and I’ll be able to run under 3’30. I’ll make my final decision on the 6th of August in Zurich. If I don’t have a good position at the world ranking at that time, I might not go to Athens. I have been dominating for 9 years." Quotes by Hicham El Guerrouj after the race "I've found my smile again. It was important to win. I know what my problems are and my lack of rhythm. I was surprised to see the Kenyan coming back. It would have been a disaster if I'd lost. This win will give me confidence and I'm going to target the 3min 30sec mark in Zurich. I am very happy. I am still very confident about the Olympics mentally and physically." Athletissima - Lausanne, Switzerland - July 6th, 2004, 21:50 - Mens 1500m 'A' Race World Record 3:26.00 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR Rome 7-14-1998 Meeting Record 3:29.51 Ali Saidi-Sief ALG Lausanne 7-4-2001 World Lead 3:30.25 Ramzi Rashid BRN Rome 7-2-2004 Position Name Country Yob Bib Order Time 1 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 74 0173 17 SB 3:32.20 2 Isaac Songok KEN 84 0342 16 3:32.22 3 Ivan Heshko UKR 79 0207 11 3:33.00 4 Laban Rotich KEN 69 0323 15 3:33.40 5 Alex Kipchirchir KEN 84 0228 9 3:34.04 6 Gert-Jan Liefers NED 78 0253 13 3:34.46 7 Abdelslam Kennouche ALG 80 0225 8 3:35.86 8 Youssef Baba MAR 79 0117 6 3:36.38 9 Kamal Boulahfane ALG 76 0135 7 3:36.65 10 Marko Koers NED 72 0233 12 3:37.19 11 Sergio Gallardo ESP 79 0190 5 3:37.80 12 Miroslaw Formela POL 78 0468 1 PB 3:38.60 13 James Nolan IRL SB 77 0296 2 3:38.75 14 Anis Selmouni MAR 79 0330 3 3:40.56 15 Robert Rono KEN 78 0319 14 3:42.38 16 Michael Stember USA 78 0345 4 3:43.12 -- Youcef Abdi AUS 77 0103 18 DNF -- Osmar Barbosa Dos Santos BRA 68 0167 19 DNF -- Tarek Boukensa ALG 81 0134 10 DNS Splits 400m Youcef Abdi (AUS) 54.56 800m Osmar Barbosa Dos Santos (BRA) 1:52.33(57.77) 1200m Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) 2:49.32(56.99) 1500m Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) 3:32.20(42.88) Iaaf article Meet website ------------------------------------------- Date Location Distance Time Place 7-2-2004 Rome 1500 3:32.64 8 Hicham El Guerrouj finished in a suprising eighth place in the 1500m in today's Rome Golden Gala meeting. Hicham El Guerrouj started the race by following the pacemarkers through 400m(55.56), 800m(1:52.60), and up to 1000m. After that Hicham took over but as the bell for the last lap sounded ... Mehdi Baala of France sped past El Guerrouj to take the lead! He pushed through 1200m in about 2:49. Bernard Lagat of Kenya and Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain stayed in close contention on the last lap. Hicham tried to overtake Mehdi and got close to him with 250m to go but couldn't advance any further. He tried to pass Baala on the final bend but his finishing burst wasn't there. He was poorly positioned coming off the final bend and had nowhere to move when he tried to launch his finishing kick. With 60 meters left Hicham slowed down and was passed by many racers, eventually finishing in 8th place. Up in the front Bernard Lagat passed Mehdi Baala but Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain was still nearby. He burst between Lagat and Baala, with Lagat taking the brunt of his move, and won the race! He left an angry Lagat, suprised Baala, and disappointed El Guerrouj in his wake. Rashid clocked a personal record 3:30.25 for 1500 meters to defeat Hicham El Guerrouj, Bernard Lagat, Mehdi Baala, and many more talented racers in an astonishing Golden League event, in which ten runners finished in 3:32 or faster! Rashid used to compete for Morocco but switched nationalities to Bahrain in 2002. He also was a former training partner of Hicham, but now seems to be out of the shadow of El Guerrouj. He was recently second place at this years World Indoor Championships 800m race. He also holds the fastest time in the world this year in the 1500m, 3:31.87, which he set in a meeting in Alger 8 days ago. He improved on that performance today with this victory. His previous best time in the metric mile before this year was 3:37.26, so the 23 year old has shown massive improvements. It is unclear whether or not Rashid Ramzi will compete in the Athens Olympics. He has previously in past years represented Morocco in competitions. The International Olympic Committee's regulations may disallow him to compete in Athens, similar to the situation of Saif Saaeed Shaheen of Qatar(formerly Stephen Cherono of Kenya). You may remember that Shaheen defeated Hicham El Guerrouj in the 2003 Ostrava 5000 meters race by running 12:48, under the Kenyan name of Stephen Cherono. He then switched nationalities from Kenya to Qatar in August 2003. He won the Gold medal at the 2003 World Championships 3000m steeplechase but was then denied access to compete in the Athens Olympics by the Kenyan Federation and/or the IOC. A similar situation could occur with Rashid Ramzi, but he says he's preparing for the Olympic Games. Hicham El Guerrouj had won 26 straight 1500m races before today's competition, now the streak has been broken. He has only lost in the 1500m, Mile, or 2000m three times from 1996 until today. The first loss came in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics 1500m final when with a lap to go he and Noureddine Morceli of Algeria collided. Hicham fell, got up, and finished in 12th place while Morceli won the race. The next loss came in the 1997 Grand Prix final's mile race. The race was slow and tactical, which allowed Robert Andersen, the Kenyan born racer for Denmark, to barely outsprint Hicham in the end. The next loss came in the 2000 Sydney Olympics 1500m final when in the final 100 meters Noah Ngeny of Kenya burst past Hicham to take the Gold medal. Hicham has won his last three 1500m races before this by margins of .03, .04, and .05 so he has definetely been challenged but up until now he has always come out the victor. Hicham El Guerrouj said before the today that this race would be the real start to his season, even though he won a 1500m race in Zaragoza, Spain, last month. He also expressed the reasons he barely won in Zaragoza, in a relatively slow time for him. He said that it was because he became the father of a child, Hiba, just a few days prior and that made him less focused. He slept on the hospital room floor with his wife Najoua Lahbil and his daughter. He then went to Spain but instead of preparing for the race he was preparing for his daughters christening and also during the race he wasn't focused as he usually is. He came out the victor in Zaragova anyway but Rome appears to be a different story. Hicham was not alone in defeats today as Ana Guevara lost the womens 400m race. Hicham and Ana hold the two current longest winning streaks in athletics before today ended. Ana lost the 400m for the first time since 2001 and her defeat came only ten short minutes before Hicham's. The crowd in the Rome Olympic stadium was dealt two major shocks within ten minutes at two of the sports biggest stars came crashing down. Quotes from Hicham El Guerrouj "I don't know what happened. I haven't got my rhythm yet. That race has given me more desire to train hard." He also said that pushing and shoving late in the race made it feel like a "boxing match" but that he ultimately he lost to younger legs. He also said he would race the 1500m in the Athletissima meet on July 6th in Laussane before heading home to Morocco to finish his Olympic training.(He also has scheduled races in Stockholm, London, and Zurich.) Quotes from Rashid Ramzi "I was not expecting to win but I have the best time of the season. The presence of El Guerrouj, Baala, and Lagat gave me the chance to do this. After this race, we can say that my mental preparation is 100 percent, but it's too early to say for my physical condition. This victory is the result of hard work. I will continue to work in the same way plus I will do a bit more speed work. I'm surprised by what happened to Hicham because he is a great champion." Quotes from Mehdi Baala "I have no regrets, I beat Hicham. I wasn't in great shape, it was hot and the conditions were difficult. I expected Hicham to perform better. He knows he's the best but maybe that put pressure on him and stressed him." Personal note from www.kingofthemile.com webmaster Michael Bautista "Hicham El Guerrouj did indeed suffer a rare and unfortunate setback today. But it doesn't have to be that way. This loss can spur him on and motivate him. To train even better, to work even harder, and to focus even more on his goals for the future. A true champion is not made with one victory. A true champion is not unmade with one loss. A true champion is made through many years time. Through all the victories, through all the defeats, through all the good days, and through all the bad days. That athlete can go through the worst possible conditions, get through it somehow, and then come back and say, "You know what? I'm gonna keep fighting, I'm not going to give up. I will never give up. It doesn't matter that I lost today, in fact it's probably a good thing, since it'll motivate me to become even better. To come back stronger, smarter, and faster. I know now what I need to do to become the best there ever was, and you know what? I'm gonna do it!". Hicham El Guerrouj is this athlete. After the loss in Atlanta, he came back. After the loss in Sydney, he came back. After today's loss in Rome, he'll come back. In my heart I know that he is the image for what we can be and accomplish if we try our best and never give up. He will never give up, never stop working, never stop trying, and never stop fighting. For Hicham El Guerrouj is a true champion." Golden Gala - Rome, Italy - July 2nd, 2004, 21:10 - Mens 1500m World Record 3:26.00 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR Rome 7-14-1998 Meeting Record 3:26.00 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR Rome 7-14-1998 World Lead 3:31.87 Ramzi Rashid BRN Alger 6-24-2004 Position Name Country Yob Bib Order Time 1 Rashid Ramzi BRN 80 249 12 AR WL 3:30.25 2 Bernard Lagat KEN 74 2 17 SB 3:30.81 3 Mehdi Baala FRA 78 60 16 SB 3:31.25 4 Isaac Songok KEN 84 49 15 SB 3:31.94 5 Rui Silva POR 77 50 4 SB 3:32.13 6 Alex Kipchirchir KEN 84 58 13 SB 3:32.35 7 Michael East GBR 78 56 10 PB 3:32.37 8 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 74 62 18 3:32.64 9 Nick Willis NZL 83 47 2 PB 3:32.68 10 Mounir Yemmouni FRA 83 46 1 PB 3:32.97 11 Gert-Jan Liefers NED 78 54 8 SB 3:33.87 12 Kevin Sullivan CAN 74 48 3 SB 3:34.43 13 Juan Carlos Higuero ESP 78 59 14 SB 3:34.48 14 Vyacheslav Shabunin RUS 69 51 5 SB 3:35.50 15 Aniss Selmouni MAR 79 52 6 SB 3:37.36 16 Paul Korir KEN 77 55 9 3:37.69 -- Arthemon Hatungimana BUR 74 64 20 DNF -- Benjamin Kipkurui KEN 80 57 11 DNF -- David Lelei KEN 71 63 19 DNF -- Christian Obrist ITA 80 53 7 DNF Intermediate times: 400m 55.56 Arthemon Hatungimana BUR 800m 1:52.60 David Lelei KEN 1200m 2:49 Mehdi Baala FRA Chief Judge: Mario Lattanzi (ITA) Iaaf article Meet website Meet pictures Video interview two days later ------------------------------------------- Date Location Distance Time Place 6-8-2004 Zaragoza 1500 3:36.46 1 Hicham El Guerrouj started his 2004 outdoor track season with a 1500m win over Alex Kipchirchir of Kenya. The meet was the Reunion Internacional De Atletismo Gobierno De Aragon in Zaragoza, Spain. Although Hicham's winning time was only 3:36.46, a win is a win. In today's race Pedro Esteso and Juan C. Esteso were both Spanish rabbit(pacemaker) brothers but it appears they took the pace out too slow for a fast time. Juan C. Esteso led through 400meters(55.98) and 800 meters(1:55.91), then Pedro Esteso took over for a while. By the time 1200 meters(2:55.77) came around, Hicham El Guerrouj was in control of the race and headed for victory. But Alex Kipchirchir stayed close and would not give up in his attack against Hicham. In the final 100meters the Moroccan and the Kenyan matched each other stride for stride as they headed torward the finish line. In the end El Guerrouj held off Kipchirchir by .03 seconds as the Kenyan ran 3:36.49, making it too close for comfort for Hicham El Guerrouj! The Kenyan fired a 1500m warning to Hicham's bid to win Olympic Gold in Athens in the metric mile. Hicham has had many close races recently. These included the World Championships 5000m in 2003, the Rieti Mile in 2003, and the Moscow Challenge 1500m in 2003. Now another close race gives him more experience in trying to hold off an opponent at the end of a race. Hicham also raced Alex in the mile at the Rieti 2003 meet. That day Hicham held off Alex by .05 seconds as the Kenyan set a new world junior record for the distance. Today it seems that Alex Kipchirchir is back at it again trying to defeat Hicham but with little luck! Hicham El Guerrouj was originally supposed to race the 1500m at the Thales Fanny Blankers-Koen Games in Hengelo on May 31st but ended up not competing there. The reason for his decision was that his training indicated that he was not ready to race. He had inclement weather in his area recently which disrupted his training. He also took a trip to Zurich to help promote Morocco's bid for the World Cup in soccer for 2010, that also disrupted his training. He trained for another week and then came here to start his season with a victory. Hicham El Guerrouj and his wife Najoua Lahbil are now the parents of a baby girl! On the morning of June 4th Najoua gave birth to the child in a hospital in the outskirts of Rabat, Morocco. On Thursday June 10th, the girl will be christened and named in Rabat. Hicham didn't have much time to spend with the new child as he arrived in Zaragoza, Spain on Sunday afternoon. So Hicham starts out his track season with a new baby girl and a win in the 1500m, exciting! There will be many more victories and memorable moments to come this year. Hicham's next known scheduled race is the Athletissima 1500m in Laussane on July 6th. He will face his top rival there, Bernard Lagat of Kenya. The King Of The Mile's 2004 quest for two Olympic Gold medals is underway and he's off to a great start with a victory today! Will he achieve all his goals this year? I say yes, Go Hicham!! Hicham El Guerrouj quotes before the race: Hicham stated that he was confident of running "Under 3:31 as the track seems fast, but it won’t be easy since it’s my first competition this year. I’m ready to win the 1500m at the Olympics. This time I won’t fail. I’ll probably try the double 1500m and 5000m in Athens. If Bekele will also run the 5000m, that will be fantastic for the crowd. This year is all about titles for me, I’ll assault the 5000m World record next year." Hicham El Guerrouj quotes after the race: "It was a difficult race, the track is quick but the stadium is very open and there was a lot of wind. I am not very happy with the time but it was my first outing and the important thing is I won. That gives me confidence for everything else, for the future. Now I'm returning to Morocco to prepare for the Games. God willing, I hope that this time will be the right one(on his 3rd try for Gold medal in Olympics). I feel relieved compared to previous years. I'm training for the joy of it, I run for my own pleasure. It will be third time lucky at the Games. I can win both(1500m and 5000m in Athens). I'm not unbeatable. I lost twice (Olympics), but I know why. I'm training better and better, each time a little more to stay the best. It's now 10 years that I've dominated over 1500m. God willing ..." Reunion Internacional De Atletismo Gobierno De Aragon, Zaragoza, Spain June 8th, 2004, 21:05 Mens 1500m -A- Final Position Bib Name Dob Country Lane Time 1 56 Hicham El Guerrouj 74 Mar 14 3:36.46 2 58 Alex Kipchirchir 84 Ken 12 3:36.49 3 242 Mounir Yemmouni 83 Fra 6 3:37.94 4 61 David Kiplak 81 Ken 10 3:38.24 5 68 Daniel Wangubu Ken 5 3:38.43 Mmp 6 63 Aniss Selmouni 79 Mar 9 3:38.61 7 64 Carlos Garcia 75 Esp 8 3:39.27 8 59 Marko Koers 72 Ned 11 3:39.42 9 169 Zbigniew Graczyk 78 Pol 7 3:39.66 10 57 Robert Rono 74 Ken 13 3:40.23 11 67 Tom Mayo 77 Gbr 3 3:42.10 73 Arturo Casado 83 Esp 2 Dnf 66 José Manuel Cerezo 73 Esp 4 Dnf 65 Pedro Esteso 76 Esp 15 Dnf 79 Juan C. Esteso 76 Esp 16 Dnf 74 Sergio Sanchez 82 Esp 1 Dns 400m Juan C. Esteso 55.98 800m Juan C. Esteso 1:55.91(59.93) 1200m Hicham El Guerrouj 2:55.77(59.86) 1500m Hicham El Guerrouj 3:36.46(40.69) Iaaf article Meet website ------------------------------------------- Date Location Distance Time Place 2-28-2004 Lieven 3000(i) 7:34.71 1 Hicham El Guerrouj ran his first race of the 2004 season today and it was a great victory! He won the 3000 meters event in Lieven, France today by 8 seconds and ran the 3rd fastest time in the world this year. He went into the race hoping to beat the top two times in the world this year, both set by Ethiopians. Haile Gebrselassie's time is 7:29.34 and Kenenisa Bekele's time is 7:30.77. It didn't quite work out as planned but still he ran an amazing time nonetheless. The mens 3000 meters was the final event of the meet and there were two pacesetters in the race. Vincent Le Dauphin of France was the first rabbit and Martin Keino of Kenya was the second rabbit. Keino dropped out with seven laps to go, leaving Hicham to continue on solo to his goal. El Guerrouj hit the 2200 mark at 5:34, which meant he ran his last 800 in 2:00. El G sprinted his last 200 meters in 29.06 seconds to totally annihilate all other competitors in the race. Robert Kipngetich of Kenya was the next finisher, a whole 8 seconds after Hicham El Guerrouj. Markos Geneti of Ethiopia, who defeated Haile Gebrselassie a week ago in a two mile race, was supposed to be Hicham's top rival today. For some reason Markos Geneti did not start the race, leaving Hicham no serious competition. El G is not planning on competing at the World Indoor Championships this season, so he can focus on preparing for his double at the Olympics. After the race The King Of The Mile said it's important that he wins the Gold medal in the 1500 meters at the Athens Olympics this year. Meeting Gaz De France Du Pas-De-Calais, Lieven, France February 28th, 2004, 17h35 Mens 3000 meters Record Time Name Nation Meet Birthyear ---------------------------------- World Record: 7:24.90 Daniel Komen KEN Birmingham 98 European Record: 7:36.61 Fermin Cacho ESP Stuttgart 96 French Record: 7:41.41 Bouabdallah Tahri FRA Stockholm 02 Meet Record: 7:31.25 Haile Gebrselassie ETH Lieven 99 Rank Lane Name Nation Birthyear Time ------------------------------------ 1 1 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 74 7:34.71 2 14 Robert Kipngetich KEN 82 7:43.09 3 4 Salem Jawher BRN 78 7:43.37 4 6 Hicham Bellani MAR 79 7:43.53 5 9 Luke Kipkosgei KEN 75 7:46.08 6 2 Mark Bett KEN 76 7:48.31 7 5 Paul Bitok KEN 70 7:48.53 8 7 Mohamed Amyn MAR 76 7:52.74 9 8 Pavel Potapovich RUS 80 8:14.36 DNF 10 Vincent Le Dauphin(Pace) FRA 76 DNF 15 Martin Keino(Pace) KEN 72 1000m Vincent Le Dauphin 2:30.09 2000m Hicham El Guerrouj 5:02.80(2:32.71) Iaaf article Meet website ------------------------------------------- Do you have a correction, suggestion, question, or comment? 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