Saïd Aouita ( ar, سعيد عويطة; born November 2, 1959) is a former Moroccan

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping even ...

athlete. He is the only athlete in history to have won a medal in each of the 800 meters and 5000 meters at the Olympic games. He won the

5000 meters The 5000 metres or 5000-metre run is a common long-distance running event in track and field, approximately equivalent to or . It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics, run over laps of a stand ...

at the

1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the secon ...

and the

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. Men's results Track 1983 , 1987 , ...

, as well as the 3000 meters at the

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. Results Men 1985 , 1987 ...

. He is a former

world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...

holder over

1500 metres The 1500 metres or 1,500-metre run (typically pronounced 'fifteen-hundred metres') is the foremost middle distance track event in athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athlet ...

(3:29.46), 2000 m (4:50.80), 3000 m (7:29.45), and twice at 5000 m (13:00.40 and 12:58.39). He lives in

Orlando, Florida Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures rel ...

Early life

Saïd Aouita was born on November 2, 1959 in

Kenitra Kenitra ( ar, القُنَيْطَرَة, , , ; ber, ⵇⵏⵉⵟⵔⴰ, Qniṭra; french: Kénitra) is a city in north western Morocco, formerly known as Port Lyautey from 1932 to 1956. It is a port on the Sebou river, has a population in 201 ...

, a coastal Moroccan city. Nine years later, he moved along with his family to

Fes Fez or Fes (; ar, فاس, fās; zgh, ⴼⵉⵣⴰⵣ, fizaz; french: Fès) is a city in northern inland Morocco and the capital of the Fès-Meknès administrative region. It is the second largest city in Morocco, with a population of 1.11 mi ...

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

Running career

Aouita had his first start towards stardom at the 1983 World Championships in Athletics held in Helsinki. He contested the 1500 m and finished third in the final, taking the

bronze medal A bronze medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of bronze awarded to the third-place finisher of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The outright winner receives ...

, after the pace slowed in the last 1000 meters and then finished with a sprint. In 1984, Aouita decided to run the 5000 m at the

. Antonio Leitão from

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a Sovereign state, country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southern Europe, Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes ...

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 5000 m (13:00.40) in

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

on the 27 July, then in 1500 m (3:29.46) on the 23 August. In 1986 he missed setting the world record in the 3000 m by 0.44 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 2000 m world record with a time of 4:50.81 in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

and only six days later, he surprised the world by breaking his own world record for 5000 m, becoming the first man to go under 13 minutes, with a time of 12:58.39 minutes. For the

, Aouita decided just to contest the 5000 m. In the 5000 m final,

John Ngugi John Ngugi Kamau (born 10 May 1962), is a former Kenyan long-distance runner, often called one of the greatest cross country runners of all time and winner of the 5000 metres at the 1988 Summer Olympics, in Seoul South Korea. Career Born in Ki ...

from

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

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 The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...

, he attempted to race in the 800 m and 1500 m but had a

hamstring In human anatomy, a hamstring () is any one of the three posterior thigh muscles in between the hip and the knee (from medial to lateral: semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris). The hamstrings are susceptible to injury. In quadrupeds, ...

injury which made him finish third in 800 m and withdraw from the 1500 m 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 800 m and 5000 m. In 1989, Aouita won the 3000 m at the

in Budapest. Later that year, he broke the world record for the same distance in

Köln Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 million ...

, Germany with the time of 7:29.45 and thus, he was the first man in history to go under 7:30:00. Aouita was a versatile middle and long distance runner, excelling at distances between 800 m and 10,000 m during the eighties. He raced and won against the Olympic champions

Joaquim Cruz Joaquim Carvalho Cruz (born March 12, 1963) is a Brazilian former middle-distance runner, winner of the 800 meters at the 1984 Summer Olympics. He is one of only five men to run the 800 metres in less than 1 minute, 42 seconds. Biography Cruz wa ...

(800 m),

Peter Rono Peter Kipchumba Rono (born 31 July 1967) is a former Kenyan athlete, who won the 1,500 metres at the 1988 Summer Olympics. Career Born in Kamobo village, near Kapsabet, Rono won the gold medal at the Africa Cross Country Championships in ...

(1500 m),

(5000 m) and

Alberto Cova Alberto is the Romance version of the Latinized form (''Albertus'') of Germanic '' Albert''. It is used in Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. The diminutive forms are ''Albertito'' in Spain or ''Albertico'' in some parts of Latin America, Albe ...

(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 Stephen Cram, (born 14 October 1960) is a British retired track and field 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 ...

over 1500 m, Olympic bronze medalist

Alessandro Lambruschini Alessandro Lambruschini (born 7 January 1965) is an Italian former long-distance runner who specialized in the 3000 metres steeplechase Biography Lambruschini participated at three editions of the Summer Olympics (1988, 1992, 1996), he has 40 ca ...

over

3000 m steeplechase The 3000 metres steeplechase or 3000-meter steeplechase (usually abbreviated as ) is the most common distance for the steeplechase in track and field. It is an obstacle race over the distance of the 3000 metres, which derives its name from the ...

, Olympic champions

and

Paul Ereng Paul Ereng (born 22 August 1966) 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 wa ...

over 800 m and world champion Yobes Ondieki over 5000 m. 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 retire from athletics.

Personal life

Said Aouita married Khadija Skhir in 1983, one year before the 1984 Olympic Games. 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. Said Aouita's 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, his son, Adil, is a film director and producer, and his youngest daughter, Zeena, is in the music field of singing and songwriting. 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.

Education

Aouita has a Bachelor of Science degree in Management and

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

in Business Administration. He is pursuing a

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...

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.

International competitions

World records

– 3:29.46 min, Berlin August 23, 1985 *

2000 metres The 2000 metres or 2000-metre run is a track running event where five laps are completed around an outdoor 400 m track, or ten laps around a 200 m indoor track - the distance is 11.68 meters short of 1¼ miles. The global governing body World Ath ...

– 4:50.81 min, Paris July 16, 1987 *

3000 metres The 3000 metres or 3000-metre run is a track running event, also commonly known as the "3K" or "3K run", where 7.5 laps are run around an outdoor 400 m track, or 15 laps around a 200 m indoor track. It is debated whether the 3000m shoul ...

– 7:29.45 min, Koln August 20, 1989 *

5000 metres The 5000 metres or 5000-metre run is a common long-distance running event in track and field, approximately equivalent to or . It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics, run over laps of a stand ...

– 13:00.40 min, Oslo July 22, 1985 *

– 12:58.35 min, Rome July 27, 1987 *

Two miles The 2 mile (10,560 feet or 3,218.688 metres) is a historic running distance. Like the mile run, it is still contested at some invitational meets due its historical chronology in the United States and United Kingdom. It has been larg ...

– 8:13.45 min, Turin May 28, 1987

Awards and distinctions

*In 2012 Said Aouita had a subway station named after him in London for the 2012 Olympic Games. The Organizers of the Olympic Games of London 2012 announced the launch of a project called "The Underground Olympic Legends Map." * Track & Field News Athlete of the Year 1985 and 1987 *44 successive victories in international races from 800 m to 10,000 m in less than 26 months *Three times

IAAF Grand Prix Final The IAAF Grand Prix Final was an athletics competition featuring track and field events staged by the International Association of Athletics Federations. It was first held in 1985 and replaced in 2003 by the IAAF World Athletics Final. For the mo ...

winner (800 m, 1500 m, and 5000 m)IAAF GRAND PRIX FINAL
GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2011-12-20. *Honored by

International Amateur Athletics Federation World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (from 1912 to 2001) and International Association of Athletics Federations (from 2001 to 2019, both abbreviated as the IAAF) is the international governing body fo ...

for Career Achievement in 2001 *The only man in history to run the 800 m under 1:44, the 1500 m under 3:30, the 3000 m under 7:30 and the 5000 m under 13:00. *Best Arab Athlete of the Century by Al Jazeera TV in 2000 *Many Merit Medals by King Hassan II *In the 1996 Spring Summer Olympic special Collection Aquachrono,

Swatch Swatch is a Swiss watchmaker founded in 1983 by Ernst Thomke, Elmar Mock, and Jacques Müller. It is a subsidiary of The Swatch Group. The Swatch product line was developed as a response to the "quartz crisis" of the 1970s and 1980s, in which ...

made a watch which featured Said Aouita on it. *The fastest train in Morocco is named after Said Aouita *Aouita was on a postage stamp of The Republic of Azerbaijan in 1996

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Aouita, Said 1959 births Living people Moroccan male middle-distance runners Moroccan male long-distance runners Moroccan male steeplechase runners Olympic athletes of Morocco Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1992 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists for Morocco Olympic bronze medalists for Morocco World record setters in athletics (track and field) People from Kenitra World Athletics Championships medalists Medalists at the 1988 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field) Olympic bronze medalists in athletics (track and field) Mediterranean Games gold medalists for Morocco Mediterranean Games silver medalists for Morocco Athletes (track and field) at the 1983 Mediterranean Games Athletes (track and field) at the 1987 Mediterranean Games Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field) Track & Field News Athlete of the Year winners Mediterranean Games medalists in athletics Universiade gold medalists for Morocco World Athletics Indoor Championships winners World Athletics Championships winners Medalists at the 1981 Summer Universiade