Muhammad Younis (4 November 1948 – 29 October 2024) was a Pakistani

middle distance runner Middle Distance Runner was an American indie rock band from Washington, D.C. Middle Distance Runner was founded in 1998, but the band didn't play a live show until 2005, shortly before the release of their debut album. The group was an early succ ...

who competed in the

1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and officially branded as Munich 1972 (; ), were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. It was the ...

and the

1976 Summer Olympics The 1976 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Montreal 1976 (), were an international multi-sport event held from July 17 to August 1, 1976, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Montreal ...

. He still holds the

national records National Records was a record label that was started in New York City by Albert Green in 1945 and lasted until early 1951. Big Joe Turner was signed at the beginning and remained until 1947. Billy Eckstine was also a big seller for the label as ...

in 1500 metres, 2000 metres, 3000 metres and 5000 metres with times of 3:41.4, 5:09.7, 8:05.65 and 14:08.4 respectively, all set in

West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...

during the 1970s.

Career

Younis represented Pakistan in the

800 metres The 800 metres, or 800 meters (American and British English spelling differences#-re.2C -er, US spelling), is a common track running event. It is the shortest commonly run middle-distance running event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of a ...

and

1500 metres The 1500 metres or 1500-metre run 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 Athletics since 1983. It is equivalent to 1.5 kilomet ...

events across multiple international competitions throughout the 1970s. Younis clinched 56 gold medals domestically and 27 golds internationally. His most notable victories include a gold medal at the

1974 Asian Games The 7th Asian Games (), also known as Tehran 1974 (), were held from 1 to 16 September 1974 in Tehran, Iran. The Aryamehr Sports Complex was built for the Games. This marked the first time the Asian Games were hosted in the Middle East. Tehran, t ...

in Tehran and a double podium finish at the 1973 Asian Athletics Championships in Marikina, where he won gold and silver. His national record in the 1500m, set in 1970 in Cologne, Germany, with a time of 3:41.4, remains unbroken to this day. He also set national records in the 3000m (8:05.65) and 5000m (14:08.4) events in 1971 and 1977, respectively, during competitions in Germany. His participation in the

1976 Montreal Olympics The 1976 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Montreal 1976 (), were an international multi-sport event held from July 17 to August 1, 1976, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Montreal w ...

became a turning point after an alleged administrative error led to his entry in the 800m event instead of his favoured 1500m. Despite the setback, Younis set a new national record in the 800m at the Games. In 1979, Younis’ competitive career was abruptly cut short due to a serious motorcycle accident, which left him unable to continue at the elite level. Yet, he remained deeply involved in athletics and served as an inspiration to young athletes across Pakistan. His contributions were officially recognised in 1991 when he was awarded the

Pride of Performance The Pride of Performance (), officially known as the Presidential Pride of Performance, is an award bestowed by the Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Pakistan to recognize people with "notable achievements in the field of art, science, literature, sp ...

, one of Pakistan’s highest honours for contributions to the arts, sciences, and sports.https://worldathletics.org/athletes/pakistan/mohamed-younis-14349131

References

External links

* 1948 births 2024 deaths Pakistani male middle-distance runners Olympic athletes for Pakistan Athletes (track and field) at the 1972 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1976 Summer Olympics Asian Games gold medalists for Pakistan Asian Games silver medalists for Pakistan Asian Games medalists in athletics (track and field) Athletes (track and field) at the 1970 Asian Games Athletes (track and field) at the 1974 Asian Games Athletes (track and field) at the 1978 Asian Games Medalists at the 1970 Asian Games Medalists at the 1974 Asian Games Medalists at the 1978 Asian Games Commonwealth Games competitors for Pakistan Athletes (track and field) at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games Asian Athletics Championships winners 20th-century Pakistani sportsmen {{Pakistan-athletics-bio-stub

Career

See also

References

External links