Youssef El Kalay
Encyclopedia
Youssef El Kalay is a Moroccan
-born long distance runner who competes for Portugal
.
El Kalai became a naturalised citizen of Portugal in 2009 and began to compete for his adopted country from 2010. At the Almond Blossom Cross Country
in March 2010, he came second behind Kenyan Mark Bett
and won the national title as the first Portuguese to finish. He ran at the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
and was Portugal's best performer in 42nd place. He made his championship track debut at the 2010 European Athletics Championships and was eighth in the men's 10,000 metres. He took part in the 2010 European Cross Country Championships
in Albufeira
and won an individual bronze medal in the senior race as well as the team silver medal.
At the Cinque Mulini
in February 2011 he competed for his club, Grupo Deportivo Recreativo Conforlimpia, as part of the European Cross Country Club Championships. He was the runner-up in the race and led his club to the men's team title. At the European Cup 10000m
in June, he improved his personal best by ten seconds to win the race in a time of 28:20.03 minutes.
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
-born long distance runner who competes for 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...
.
El Kalai became a naturalised citizen of Portugal in 2009 and began to compete for his adopted country from 2010. At the Almond Blossom Cross Country
Almond Blossom Cross Country
The Almond Blossom Cross Country is an annual international cross country running competition which takes place in Albufeira, Portugal in early March. It is one of the IAAF permit meetings which serve as qualifying events for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. It is held in co-operation...
in March 2010, he came second behind Kenyan Mark Bett
Mark Bett
Mark Bett is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specializes in the 3000 and 5000 metres. His time over 5000 m of 12:58.72 minutes in 2001, achieved in Zürich, was the third best time in the world that season, only behind Richard Limo and Hailu Mekonnen.-Achievements:-Personal bests:*3000 metres -...
and won the national title as the first Portuguese to finish. He ran at the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held at Myślęcinek Park in Bydgoszcz, Poland on 28 March 2010. It was the first time in over twenty years that Poland hosted the annual championships, having previously held them in Warsaw in 1987. Kenyan runners dominated the competition, taking...
and was Portugal's best performer in 42nd place. He made his championship track debut at the 2010 European Athletics Championships and was eighth in the men's 10,000 metres. He took part in the 2010 European Cross Country Championships
2010 European Cross Country Championships
The 2010 European Cross Country Championships was a continental cross country running competition that took place on 12 December in Albufeira, Portugal. It was the second time that the country hosted the event, building upon the 1997 edition held in Oeiras....
in Albufeira
Albufeira
Albufeira is a Portuguese municipality in the Faro District, Algarve region. Its name came from the Arabic: البحيرة . The city has a population of 13,646. The municipality has a population of 35,281 inhabitants and a total area of 140.6 km²...
and won an individual bronze medal in the senior race as well as the team silver medal.
At the Cinque Mulini
Cinque Mulini
The Cinque Mulini is an annual cross country running race in San Vittore Olona, Italy. First held in 1933, the course is unusual in that it revolves around a number of water mills, which lend the competition its name – meaning Five Mills in Italian. It is one of the IAAF cross country permit...
in February 2011 he competed for his club, Grupo Deportivo Recreativo Conforlimpia, as part of the European Cross Country Club Championships. He was the runner-up in the race and led his club to the men's team title. At the European Cup 10000m
European Cup 10000m
The European Cup 10000m is an annual 10,000 metres race for European athletes which was first held in 1997. The competition is organised by the European Athletics Association and first began as the European 10000 Metres Challenge after the event was removed from the European Cup programme...
in June, he improved his personal best by ten seconds to win the race in a time of 28:20.03 minutes.
Achievements
| Representing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | European Championships | 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... , Spain |
8th | 10,000 m | 29:07.61 2010 European Athletics Championships – Men's 10,000 metres The men's 10,000 metres at the 2010 European Athletics Championships was held at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on 27 July.-Medalists:-Records:-Schedule:-Final:-References:*... |
| European Cross Country Championships 2010 European Cross Country Championships The 2010 European Cross Country Championships was a continental cross country running competition that took place on 12 December in Albufeira, Portugal. It was the second time that the country hosted the event, building upon the 1997 edition held in Oeiras.... |
Albufeira Albufeira Albufeira is a Portuguese municipality in the Faro District, Algarve region. Its name came from the Arabic: البحيرة . The city has a population of 13,646. The municipality has a population of 35,281 inhabitants and a total area of 140.6 km²... , Portugal |
3rd | Senior race | ||