Said Aouita
Encyclopedia
Saïd Aouita is a former Moroccan athlete, winner of 5000 meters at the 1984 Summer Olympics
, 5000 meters at the 1987 World Championships in Athletics
, 3000 meters at the 1989 IAAF World Indoor Championships
, and former world record holder at 1500m (3.29:45), 2000m (4.50:80), 3000m (7.29:46), and twice at 5000m [(13.00:40) and (12.58:58)]. Said Aouita was the first Arab sports man who became known all over the world. He remains a track and field legend.
, a coastal Moroccan city. Nine years later, he moved along with his family to Fes
due to the nature of his father's work. As a child he spent most of his time playing football and wanted to be a great footballer; however, his outstanding skills in running made his coaches foresee a great future in track and field
.
Aouita was a versatile middle and long distance runner, excelling at distances between 800 and 10000 meters during the eighties. He raced and won against the Olympic champions Joaquim Cruz
(800 m), Peter Rono
(1500 m), John Ngugi
(5000 m) and Alberto Cova
(10000 m) over their respective main distances. Between September 1983 and September 1990 he won 115 of his 119 races. The defeats were against world champion Steve Cram
over 1500 m, Olympic bronze medalist Alessandro Lambruschini
over 3000 m steeplechase, Olympic champions Joaquim Cruz
and Paul Ereng
over 800 m and world champion Yobes Ondieki
over 5000 m.
. Khadija Skhir is Said Aouita's biggest supporter, and together they have four children: one son, Adil, and three daughters; Soukaina, Sarah, and Zeena. The two eldest daughters, Soukaina and Sarah, were both named by the king of Morocco, Hassan II. His wife, Khadija Skhir is equally interested in sports as she holds a 3rd degree black belt in Taekwondo. Aouita's two eldest daughters are both in the medical field.
Aouita had his first start towards stardom at the 1983 World Championships in Athletics
held in Helsinki. He contested the 1500m and finished third in the final after the pace slowed in the last 1000 meters and then finished with a sprint.
In 1984, Aouita decided to run the 5000m at the 1984 Summer Olympics
. Antonio Leitão
from Portugal
ran in first for the majority of the race. Aouita stayed behind Leitão and then sprinted past him on the last lap to win.
1985 was a record-breaking year for Aouita. He ran two world records: first in 5000m (13:00.40) in Oslo
on the 27th of July, then in 1500m (3:29.46) on the 23rd of August.
In 1986 he missed setting the world record in the 3000m by .44 of a second.
In 1987, Aouita's main objective was to excel in the world championship held in Rome and break records. First, he broke the 2000m world record with a time of 4:50.81 in Paris
and only six days later, he surprised the world by breaking his own world record for 5000m, becoming the first man to go under 13 minutes, with a time of 12:58.39. For the 1987 World Championships in Athletics
, Aouita decided just to contest the 5000m. In the 5000m final, John Ngugi
from Kenya
set a fair pace, but by no means fast. Aouita, always in control of the race, made his move just before the bell, leading a mass sprint for the finish that he won in 13:26.44.
In 1988, at the 1988 Summer Olympics
, he attempted to race in the 800m and 1500m but had a hamstring
injury which made him finish third in 800m and withdraw from the 1500m although he had qualified for the semi-final. In spite of that his bronze medal made him the only athlete in history to combine medals at both 800m and 5000m.
In 1989, Aouita won the 3000m at the 1989 IAAF World Indoor Championships
in Budapest. Alter that year, he broke the world record for the same distance in Köln
, Germany
with the time of 7:29.45 and thus, he was the first man in history to go under 7:30:00.
In the early nineties, Aouita underwent surgery on his leg, after which his doctors advised him to put an end to his career as an athlete for his health. After a set of failures in a number of races he decided to quit athletics.
• Gold in Los Angeles (5000m) 1984
• Bronze in Seoul (800m) 1988
World Championship Outdoor:
• Gold in Rome (5000m) 1987
• Bronze in Helsinki (1500m) 1983
World Championship Indoor:
• Gold medal in (3000m) in 1989 in Budapest
World Cup:
• Gold medal in (5000m) in 1989 in Barcelona
African Championships:
• Gold medal in (1500m) in 1984 in Rabat
Arab Games:
• Gold medal in (1500m) in 1985 in Casablanca
Mediterranean Games:
• Gold medal in (800m/1500m) in 1983 in Casablanca
• Gold medal in (1500m/5000m) in 1987 in Latakia, Syria
Universiade Games Bucarest 1981:
• Gold Medal in (1500m) and breaking the Games Record
World Records:
• 1500m (Berlin, 1985)
• 2000m (Paris, 1987)
• 5000m (Oslo, 1985 and Rome, 1987)
• Double Mile (Turin, 1987)
• The fastest train in Morocco is named after the great Said Aouita
• Said Aouita was on a postage stamp of The Republic of Azerbaijan in 1996
• Best Athlete of the Year Track & Field News 1985
• Best Arab Athlete of the Century by Al Jazeera TV
in 2000
• Winner of the Jesse Owens Trophy, the most prestigious world athletics distinction 1986
• 44 Successive victories in international races from 800m to 10000m in less than 26 months
• 3 Times winner final Grand Prix (800m, 1500m, and 5000m)
• Honored by International Amateur Athletics Federation for Career Achievement in 2001
• Many Merit Medals by The King Hassan II
• Tremendous versatility: Said Aouita of Morocco is the only man in history to run the 800m under 1:44, the 1500m under 3:30, the 3000m under 7:30 and the 5000m under 13:00.
1985
5000m: 13’00”40
1500m: 3’29”46
1987
Two Miles: 8’13”46
2000m: 4’50”80
5000m: 12’58”39
1989
3000m: 7’29”46
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
, 5000 meters at the 1987 World Championships in Athletics
1987 World Championships in Athletics
The 2nd World Championships in Athletics under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations were held in the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy between August 28 and September 6, 1987.-Track:1983 | 1987 | 1991 | 1993 | 1995...
, 3000 meters at the 1989 IAAF World Indoor Championships
1989 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 2nd IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Budapest Sportcsarnok in Budapest, Hungary from March 3 to March 5, 1989. There were a total number of 373 participating athletes from 62 countries.-Men:1985 | 1987 | 1989 | 1991 | 1993...
, and former world record holder at 1500m (3.29:45), 2000m (4.50:80), 3000m (7.29:46), and twice at 5000m [(13.00:40) and (12.58:58)]. Said Aouita was the first Arab sports man who became known all over the world. He remains a track and field legend.
Background
Saïd Aouita was born on November 2, 1959 in KenitraKenitra
Kenitra is a city in Morocco, formerly known as Port Lyautey. It is a port on the Sebou River, has a population in 2004 of 359,142 and is the capital of the Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen region. During the Cold War Kenitra's U.S...
, a coastal Moroccan city. Nine years later, he moved along with his family to Fes
Fes
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
due to the nature of his father's work. As a child he spent most of his time playing football and wanted to be a great footballer; however, his outstanding skills in running made his coaches foresee a great future in track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
.
Aouita was a versatile middle and long distance runner, excelling at distances between 800 and 10000 meters during the eighties. He raced and won against the Olympic champions Joaquim Cruz
Joaquim Cruz
Joaquim Carvalho Cruz is a former Brazilian athlete, winner of the 800 m at the 1984 Summer Olympics. He is one of only four men to run the 800 m in less than 1:42....
(800 m), Peter Rono
Peter Rono
Peter Kipchumba Rono is a former Kenyan athlete, who won the 1,500 metres at the 1988 Summer Olympics....
(1500 m), John Ngugi
John Ngugi
John Ngugi Kamau , is a former Kenyan athlete, often called one of the greatest cross country runners of all time and winner of the 5000 metres at the 1988 Summer Olympics.-Career:...
(5000 m) and Alberto Cova
Alberto Cova
Alberto Cova is a retired Italian athlete, winner of the 10,000 m at the 1984 Summer Olympics.-Career:Born in Inverigo, province of Como, Italy, Alberto Cova was characterized by his superiority in the sprint finish, and the only way to nullify this was to set a very fast pace from the start to...
(10000 m) over their respective main distances. Between September 1983 and September 1990 he won 115 of his 119 races. The defeats were against world champion Steve Cram
Steve Cram
Stephen "Steve" Cram MBE is a British retired athlete. Along with fellow Britons Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett, he was one of the world's dominant middle distance runners during the 1980s. Nicknamed "The Jarrow Arrow", Cram set world records in the 1500 metres, 2000 metres and the mile during a...
over 1500 m, Olympic bronze medalist Alessandro Lambruschini
Alessandro Lambruschini
Alessandro Lambruschini is an Italian former long-distance runner who specialized in the 3000 metres steeplechase.-Achievements:-Personal bests:*1500 metres - 3:35.27 min...
over 3000 m steeplechase, Olympic champions Joaquim Cruz
Joaquim Cruz
Joaquim Carvalho Cruz is a former Brazilian athlete, winner of the 800 m at the 1984 Summer Olympics. He is one of only four men to run the 800 m in less than 1:42....
and Paul Ereng
Paul Ereng
Paul Ereng is a former Kenyan athlete, and the surprise winner of the 800 metres at the 1988 Summer Olympics.Born in Kitale, Trans-Nzoia, Kenya, Paul Ereng attended Starehe Boys Centre and School in Nairobi, Kenya. He was a promising 400 m runner until the end of 1987...
over 800 m and world champion Yobes Ondieki
Yobes Ondieki
Yobes Ondieki is a former Kenyan 5000 m runner, who won the World Championships' gold medal in Tokyo 1991. In the same year he set a temporary Kenyan 5000 m record of 13:01.82 in Zurich...
over 5000 m.
Education
Aouita has a (BS) Bachelor of Science Degree in Management and (MBA) Master Degree in Business Administration. At the present time, he is pursuing his doctorate in Sport Management and Leadership. His subject of concern is a model for elite athletic achievement in Olympics. He is interested in the impact of sport business and coaching young athletes to one day be Olympic champions.Family
Said Aouita married Khadija Skhir in 1983, one year before the 1984 Olympic Games1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
. Khadija Skhir is Said Aouita's biggest supporter, and together they have four children: one son, Adil, and three daughters; Soukaina, Sarah, and Zeena. The two eldest daughters, Soukaina and Sarah, were both named by the king of Morocco, Hassan II. His wife, Khadija Skhir is equally interested in sports as she holds a 3rd degree black belt in Taekwondo. Aouita's two eldest daughters are both in the medical field.
Sport career
1983 World Championships in Athletics
The inaugural World Championships in Athletics were run under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations and were held at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland between August 7 and August 14, 1983....
held in Helsinki. He contested the 1500m and finished third in the final after the pace slowed in the last 1000 meters and then finished with a sprint.
In 1984, Aouita decided to run the 5000m at the 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
. Antonio Leitão
António Leitão
António Carlos Carvalho Nogueira Leitão is a former Portuguese athlete who mainly competed in the long distance events....
from Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
ran in first for the majority of the race. Aouita stayed behind Leitão and then sprinted past him on the last lap to win.
1985 was a record-breaking year for Aouita. He ran two world records: first in 5000m (13:00.40) in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
on the 27th of July, then in 1500m (3:29.46) on the 23rd of August.
In 1986 he missed setting the world record in the 3000m by .44 of a second.
In 1987, Aouita's main objective was to excel in the world championship held in Rome and break records. First, he broke the 2000m world record with a time of 4:50.81 in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and only six days later, he surprised the world by breaking his own world record for 5000m, becoming the first man to go under 13 minutes, with a time of 12:58.39. For the 1987 World Championships in Athletics
1987 World Championships in Athletics
The 2nd World Championships in Athletics under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations were held in the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy between August 28 and September 6, 1987.-Track:1983 | 1987 | 1991 | 1993 | 1995...
, Aouita decided just to contest the 5000m. In the 5000m final, John Ngugi
John Ngugi
John Ngugi Kamau , is a former Kenyan athlete, often called one of the greatest cross country runners of all time and winner of the 5000 metres at the 1988 Summer Olympics.-Career:...
from Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
set a fair pace, but by no means fast. Aouita, always in control of the race, made his move just before the bell, leading a mass sprint for the finish that he won in 13:26.44.
In 1988, at 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...
, he attempted to race in the 800m and 1500m but had a hamstring
Hamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...
injury which made him finish third in 800m and withdraw from the 1500m although he had qualified for the semi-final. In spite of that his bronze medal made him the only athlete in history to combine medals at both 800m and 5000m.
In 1989, Aouita won the 3000m at the 1989 IAAF World Indoor Championships
1989 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 2nd IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Budapest Sportcsarnok in Budapest, Hungary from March 3 to March 5, 1989. There were a total number of 373 participating athletes from 62 countries.-Men:1985 | 1987 | 1989 | 1991 | 1993...
in Budapest. Alter that year, he broke the world record for the same distance in Köln
KOLN
KOLN, digital channel 10, is the CBS affiliate in Lincoln, Nebraska. It operates a satellite station, KGIN, on digital channel 11 in Grand Island. KGIN repeats all KOLN programming, but airs separate commercials...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
with the time of 7:29.45 and thus, he was the first man in history to go under 7:30:00.
In the early nineties, Aouita underwent surgery on his leg, after which his doctors advised him to put an end to his career as an athlete for his health. After a set of failures in a number of races he decided to quit athletics.
Coaching, Journalism, and Life
After his athletics career ended, Aouita worked with mixed success as a consultant for numerous sport institutions, as Technical National Manager in Morocco, and National Distance Coach in Australia thanks not only to his fruitful field experience, but also to his academic competences. Now, Aouita is working as Senior Analyst for Al Jazeera Sports Channel. Aouita also has a sports clothing company which was established in 2009.Career Achievement
Olympic Games:• Gold in Los Angeles (5000m) 1984
• Bronze in Seoul (800m) 1988
World Championship Outdoor:
• Gold in Rome (5000m) 1987
• Bronze in Helsinki (1500m) 1983
World Championship Indoor:
• Gold medal in (3000m) in 1989 in Budapest
World Cup:
• Gold medal in (5000m) in 1989 in Barcelona
African Championships:
• Gold medal in (1500m) in 1984 in Rabat
Arab Games:
• Gold medal in (1500m) in 1985 in Casablanca
Mediterranean Games:
• Gold medal in (800m/1500m) in 1983 in Casablanca
• Gold medal in (1500m/5000m) in 1987 in Latakia, Syria
Universiade Games Bucarest 1981:
• Gold Medal in (1500m) and breaking the Games Record
World Records:
• 1500m (Berlin, 1985)
• 2000m (Paris, 1987)
• 5000m (Oslo, 1985 and Rome, 1987)
• Double Mile (Turin, 1987)
Awards and Distinctions
• In the 1996 Spring Summer Olympic special Collection Aquachrono, Swatch made a watch which featured Said Aouita on it.• The fastest train in Morocco is named after the great Said Aouita
• Said Aouita was on a postage stamp of The Republic of Azerbaijan in 1996
• Best Athlete of the Year Track & Field News 1985
• Best Arab Athlete of the Century by Al Jazeera TV
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
in 2000
• Winner of the Jesse Owens Trophy, the most prestigious world athletics distinction 1986
• 44 Successive victories in international races from 800m to 10000m in less than 26 months
• 3 Times winner final Grand Prix (800m, 1500m, and 5000m)
• Honored by International Amateur Athletics Federation for Career Achievement in 2001
• Many Merit Medals by The King Hassan II
• Tremendous versatility: Said Aouita of Morocco is the only man in history to run the 800m under 1:44, the 1500m under 3:30, the 3000m under 7:30 and the 5000m under 13:00.
Records
World Records1985
5000m: 13’00”40
1500m: 3’29”46
1987
Two Miles: 8’13”46
2000m: 4’50”80
5000m: 12’58”39
1989
3000m: 7’29”46