Hassiba Boulmerka
Encyclopedia
Hassiba Boulmerka (born July 10, 1968 in Constantine
in the north east of Algeria
) is a former Algeria
n middle distance athlete
. In 1992, she became the first Algerian to win an Olympic
title.
Born in Constantine
, Boulmerka started running as a young girl, specializing in the 800 and 1500 m. She was successful in national and regional races, although there wasn't much competition. Her first major international tournament was the 1988 Summer Olympics
in Seoul
, where she was eliminated in the preliminary heat of both the 800 and 1500m.
Boulmerka's performances slowly became better, and her big breakthrough came in 1991. The first major race she won was the 800 m. at the Golden Gala race in Rome
, Italy
. A month later, she competed at the World Championships
. On the last straight of the 1500 m final, she sprinted
to victory, becoming the first Africa
n woman to win an athletics world title.
Her remarkable performance did not only give her positive attention. She was frequently bothered by fundamentalist
Muslim
groups in Algeria who thought she showed too much of her body when racing, and Boulmerka was forced to move to Europe to train. In spite of this, she was one of the favorites for the 1500 m gold medal
at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics
. In the final, she fought off Lyudmila Rogachova
and current world record holder Qu Yunxia
for the gold medal. It was Algeria's first gold medal at the Olympic Games.
Boulmerka's next two seasons were not as successful, although she won a bronze medal at the 1993 World Championships
in Stuttgart
. In 1995, she hadn't won a single race going into the World Championships
in Gothenburg
, but this did not prevent her from winning her second world title
. It was her only victory of that season, and her last major victory. She competed at the Centennial Olympics
in Atlanta, but sprain
ed her ankle
in the semi-finals. After the 1997 season, in which she did not bother to defend her world title, she retired from sports.
Boulmerka was later elected to the athlete's commission of the International Olympic Committee
.
She holds the 1500 metres African record
of 3:55.30 that was set on August 8, 1992 in Barcelona
. She also held One mile African record of 4:20.79 set in 1991 in Oslo. The record was beaten 17 years later by Gelete Burika of Ethiopia, who timed 4:18.23 in 2008.
Constantine, Algeria
Constantine is the capital of Constantine Province in north-eastern Algeria. It was the capital of the same-named French département until 1962. Slightly inland, it is about 80 kilometres from the Mediterranean coast, on the banks of Rhumel river...
in the north east of Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
) is a former Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n middle distance athlete
Middle distance track event
Middle distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle distance event. The 880 yard run, or half mile, was the forebear to the...
. In 1992, she became the first Algerian to win an Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
title.
Born in Constantine
Constantine, Algeria
Constantine is the capital of Constantine Province in north-eastern Algeria. It was the capital of the same-named French département until 1962. Slightly inland, it is about 80 kilometres from the Mediterranean coast, on the banks of Rhumel river...
, Boulmerka started running as a young girl, specializing in the 800 and 1500 m. She was successful in national and regional races, although there wasn't much competition. Her first major international tournament was the 1988 Summer Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, where she was eliminated in the preliminary heat of both the 800 and 1500m.
Boulmerka's performances slowly became better, and her big breakthrough came in 1991. The first major race she won was the 800 m. at the Golden Gala race in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. A month later, she competed at the World Championships
1991 World Championships in Athletics
The 3rd World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held in the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan between August 23 and September 1 and athletes from 167 countries participated in the event.The event is best-remembered for the...
. On the last straight of the 1500 m final, she sprinted
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
to victory, becoming the first Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n woman to win an athletics world title.
Her remarkable performance did not only give her positive attention. She was frequently bothered by fundamentalist
Fundamentalism
Fundamentalism is strict adherence to specific theological doctrines usually understood as a reaction against Modernist theology. The term "fundamentalism" was originally coined by its supporters to describe a specific package of theological beliefs that developed into a movement within the...
Muslim
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
groups in Algeria who thought she showed too much of her body when racing, and Boulmerka was forced to move to Europe to train. In spite of this, she was one of the favorites for the 1500 m gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
. In the final, she fought off Lyudmila Rogachova
Lyudmila Rogachova
Lyudmila Rogachova is a retired Russian middle distance runner who competed mainly in the 1500 metres. She became a World Indoor and European champion in this event, and won an Olympic silver medal in 1992 with a personal best time of 3:56.91 - beating future world record holder Qu Yunxia into...
and current world record holder Qu Yunxia
Qu Yunxia
Qu Yunxia is a Chinese Olympic athlete who specialized in the 1500 metres.At the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona she won a bronze medal on 1500 m. In 1993 she achieved the still standing world record in the 1500 metres at 3:50.46 minutes while running in the National Games of the People's...
for the gold medal. It was Algeria's first gold medal at the Olympic Games.
Boulmerka's next two seasons were not as successful, although she won a bronze medal at the 1993 World Championships
1993 World Championships in Athletics
The 4th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held in the Gottlieb Daimler Stadium, Stuttgart, Germany between August 13 and August 22 with the participation of 187 nations....
in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
. In 1995, she hadn't won a single race going into the World Championships
1995 World Championships in Athletics
The 5th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, Sweden between August 5 and August 13.This edition featured 1804 athletes from 191 nations....
in Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, but this did not prevent her from winning her second world title
IAAF World Championships in Athletics
The World Championships in Athletics is an event organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations . Originally, it was organised every four years, but this changed in 1991, and it has since been organised biennially.-History:...
. It was her only victory of that season, and her last major victory. She competed at the Centennial Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
in Atlanta, but sprain
Sprain
A sprain is an injury in a joint, caused by the ligament being stretched beyond its capacity. A muscular tear caused in the same manner is referred to as a strain. In cases where either ligament or muscle tissue is torn, immobilization and surgical repair may be necessary...
ed her ankle
Ankle
The ankle joint is formed where the foot and the leg meet. The ankle, or talocrural joint, is a synovial hinge joint that connects the distal ends of the tibia and fibula in the lower limb with the proximal end of the talus bone in the foot...
in the semi-finals. After the 1997 season, in which she did not bother to defend her world title, she retired from sports.
Boulmerka was later elected to the athlete's commission of the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
.
She holds the 1500 metres African record
African records in athletics
African records in athletics are the best marks set in a track and field and road running events by an athlete who competes for a member nation of the Confederation of African Athletics . The organisation is responsible for ratification and it analyses each record before approving it...
of 3:55.30 that was set on August 8, 1992 in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. She also held One mile African record of 4:20.79 set in 1991 in Oslo. The record was beaten 17 years later by Gelete Burika of Ethiopia, who timed 4:18.23 in 2008.