Yousef Ahmed Masrahi
Encyclopedia
Yousef Ahmed Masrahi (born 31 December 1987 in Riyadh
) is a Saudi Arabia
n track and field
athlete, who specialises in the 400 metres
sprint. His personal best time for the event is 45.48 seconds, set in Guangzhou
in 2010. He was the gold medallist in the event at the Asian Athletics Championships in 2011.
His first international outing came in middle-distance events at the 2007 Asian Indoor Games
. He failed to finish in the 800 metres
, but set an national indoor record
of 4:11.28 minutes in the 1500 metres
heats. He won his first medal at the competition in the 4×400 metres relay, taking the gold
alongside Hamdan Al-Bishi
, Ali Al-Deraan and Hamed Al-Bishi. In the 2008 season he was based in California
and began to run in the 200 metres
and 400 metres instead, setting best times of 21.80 and 46.45 seconds in the events.
Masrahi won the national title over 200 m in 2009 and improved his 400 m best to 45.84 seconds in Riyadh, gaining the "B" qualifying standard
. He represented Saudi Arabia at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
, but was knocked out in the 400 m heats
. He was the bronze medal
ist in the distance at the Arab Athletics Championships and also won the relay title with Saudi Arabia. At the 2009 Asian Indoor Games
in November Masrahi was just beaten to the 400 m title by Ismail Al-Sabiani, another Saudi runner, but the pair teamed up in the relay to set a Games record and national record time of 3:10.31 minutes.
The 2010 Asian Games
was his focus for the next season and he gained selection after winning a 200/400 m double at the national championships. He ran personal best of 45.48 seconds in the heats of the 400 m at the Asian Games, but was little slower in the final and took the bronze medal. With the relay team he anchored the men home to a Saudi national record of 3:02.30 minutes, running with Al-Sabiani, Mohammed Al-Salhi and Al-Bishi to win the Asian Games title. The next year, he won the 400 m gold medal at the 2011 Asian Athletics Championships
in Kobe
, Japan, and also won a silver medal
in the relay.
Riyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
) is a Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
n 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...
athlete, who specialises in the 400 metres
400 metres
The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...
sprint. His personal best time for the event is 45.48 seconds, set in Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
in 2010. He was the gold medallist in the event at the Asian Athletics Championships in 2011.
His first international outing came in middle-distance events at the 2007 Asian Indoor Games
Indoor athletics at the 2007 Asian Indoor Games
Indoor athletics at the 2007 Asian Indoor Games was held in Macau East Asian Games Dome, Macau, China from 30 October to 1 November 2007.-Medal table:-Men:-Women:-60 metres:Round 1 – October 30Semi-final – October 30...
. He failed to finish in the 800 metres
800 metres
The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...
, but set an national indoor record
Saudi Arabian records in athletics
The following are the national records in athletics in Saudi Arabia maintained by the Saudi Arabian Athletics Federation .-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:-External links:* *...
of 4:11.28 minutes in the 1500 metres
1500 metres
The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...
heats. He won his first medal at the competition in the 4×400 metres relay, taking the gold
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...
alongside Hamdan Al-Bishi
Hamdan Al-Bishi
-Achievements:-References:...
, Ali Al-Deraan and Hamed Al-Bishi. In the 2008 season he was based in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and began to run in the 200 metres
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
and 400 metres instead, setting best times of 21.80 and 46.45 seconds in the events.
Masrahi won the national title over 200 m in 2009 and improved his 400 m best to 45.84 seconds in Riyadh, gaining the "B" qualifying standard
2009 World Championships in Athletics qualification standards
The following marks are the A and B qualification standards for the 2009 World Championships in Athletics. Each country may send a maximum of four athletes who have attained the A qualification mark in each specific event. A maximum of three athletes can compete in that event, with the sole...
. He represented Saudi Arabia at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
, but was knocked out in the 400 m heats
2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 400 metres
The men's 400 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Olympic Stadium on 18, 19 and 21 August.The United States had a strong tradition in the event, with an American topping the Olympic 400 m podium every time since the 1988 Olympics. Similar to the 2007 World...
. He was the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
ist in the distance at the Arab Athletics Championships and also won the relay title with Saudi Arabia. At the 2009 Asian Indoor Games
Indoor athletics at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games
Indoor athletics at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games was held in My Dinh Indoor Athletics Gymnasium, Hanoi, Vietnam from 31 October to 2 November 2009....
in November Masrahi was just beaten to the 400 m title by Ismail Al-Sabiani, another Saudi runner, but the pair teamed up in the relay to set a Games record and national record time of 3:10.31 minutes.
The 2010 Asian Games
Athletics at the 2010 Asian Games
Athletics at the 2010 Asian Games was held in Guangzhou, China from 21 to 27 November 2010. A total of 47 events were contested, 24 by men and 23 by women - matching the Olympic athletics programme...
was his focus for the next season and he gained selection after winning a 200/400 m double at the national championships. He ran personal best of 45.48 seconds in the heats of the 400 m at the Asian Games, but was little slower in the final and took the bronze medal. With the relay team he anchored the men home to a Saudi national record of 3:02.30 minutes, running with Al-Sabiani, Mohammed Al-Salhi and Al-Bishi to win the Asian Games title. The next year, he won the 400 m gold medal at the 2011 Asian Athletics Championships
2011 Asian Athletics Championships
The 19th Asian Athletics Championships were held in Kobe, Japan between July 7–10, 2011 at the Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium. The tournament had 507 athletes from forty Asian nations competing in the 42 track and field events over the four-day competition....
in Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
, Japan, and also won a silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
in the relay.