Rashid Ramzi () (born July 17, 1980) is a Moroccan-

Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...

track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

athlete competing internationally for

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 ...

. Ramzi was investigated by the

IAAF World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation and International Association of Athletics Federations and formerly abbreviated as the IAAF, is the international sports governing body, governing body for the sport ...

after the

2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes fro ...

and was stripped of his gold medal for doping. Ramzi was born in Safi,

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

. After transferring to Bahrain, he ascended to the top of the Asian scene, winning gold medals at the

Asian Athletics Championships The Asian Athletics Championships is an event organized by the Asian Athletics Association. History The competition courted controversy with the IAAF when political in-fighting arose after Israel was excluded from participation in 1977. That edi ...

and the

2002 Asian Games The 2002 Asian Games, officially known as the XIV Asian Games and also known as Busan 2002 (), were an international multi-sport event held in Busan, South Korea from September 29 to October 14, 2002. Due to schedule impediments the football tour ...

. He set an Asian indoor record over 800 metres to take the silver at the

2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships The 10th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) were held in the Budapest Arena, Hungary between March 5 and March 7, 2004. A total off 139 countries were r ...

—his first global medal—and took part in the

2004 Athens Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially branded as Athens 2004 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 13 to 29 August 2004 in Athens, Greece. The Games saw 10,625 athletes ...

. He reached the peak of his discipline the following year by becoming both the 800 m and 1500 m champion at the

2005 World Championships in Athletics The 10th World Championships in Athletics (, ), under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), were held in the Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland (6 August 2005 – 14 August 2005), the site of the first ...

– the first man to ever do such a double at the competition. He failed to retain his titles at the 2007 World Championships, but still took the silver medal over 1500 m. At the

he was the recipient of the first-ever medal for

Bahrain at the Olympics Bahrain has competed in 10 Summer Olympic Games. They have never competed in the Winter Olympic Games. Until 2024, all the Bahraini Olympic medals were won by naturalized African long-distance runners. The country's first podium was a bronze in t ...

– winning the 1500 m

gold medal A gold medal is a 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. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have b ...

. However, his result did not stand and he was excluded from the sport for two years after his test came back positive for the banned blood-boosting substance CERA.

Career

Early competition and transfer

Ramzi was raised in Safi, and competed internationally for

, winning the

silver medal A silver medal, in sports and other similar areas involving competition, is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, ...

at the

1999 African Junior Athletics Championships The 1999 African Junior Athletics Championships was the fourth edition of the biennial, continental athletics (sport), athletics tournament for African athletes aged junior athletics, 19 years or younger. It was held in Tunis, Tunisia, from 22–2 ...

and then winning at the national championships in 2001. until he joined the Bahraini armed forces and gained citizenship in 2002. Following the nationality transfer, he began competing for Bahrain immediately – he won silver at the

2002 Asian Athletics Championships The 14th Asian Athletics Championships were held in Colombo, Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocea ...

and then took the 1500 m gold at the

. He scored three 1500 m gold medals at regional championships in 2003, winning at the

Pan Arab Athletics Championships Pan or PAN may refer to: Food * Pan (cooking), a piece of cooking equipment * Harina P.A.N., a pre-cooked corn meal * Pan or Paan, a North Indian term for betel Prefix * ''Pan-'', a prefix meaning "all", "of everything", or "involving all me ...

, the

Gulf Cooperation Council Championships The Gulf Cooperation Council Athletics Championship (also known as the GCC Athletics Championships) is a biennial international athletics competition between athletes from nations within the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf. It w ...

, and beating all opposition at the

2003 Asian Athletics Championships The 15th Asian Athletics Championships were held in Manila, Philippines on September 20–23, 2003 in sports, 2003. Results Men Women Medal table Participating nations * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ...

. The 2004 season saw him break through onto the global scene – he won

and 1500 m golds at the

2004 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships The 2004 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships was an international indoor athletics event took place in Tehran, Iran, between 6 and 8 February. The female events were held separately from the men's events, taking place during the morning sessions. ...

(setting an Asian record at the shorter distance) and then took the

at the

the following month, improving his 800 m area record and just finishing behind

Mbulaeni Mulaudzi Mbulaeni Tongai Mulaudzi OIB (8 September 1980 – 24 October 2014) was a South African middle-distance runner, and the 2009 world champion in the men's 800 metres. His first global medal was a silver at the 2000 African Championships in At ...

. Competing on the European circuit, he took his first Golden League win in the 1500 m at the

Golden Gala Golden Gala is an annual Track and field, track and field event normally held at the Stadio Olimpico, Olympic Stadium in Rome, Italy. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now part of the Diamond League. Following the 2013 deat ...

in Rome. Later that year, he represented his adopted country at the

for the first time and he reached the semi-finals of the 1500 m at the

Double world champion

At the

, Ramzi repeated the 1964 accomplishment of

Peter Snell Sir Peter George Snell (17 December 1938 – 12 December 2019) was a New Zealand middle-distance runner. He won three Olympic gold medals, and is the only man since 1920 to have won the 800 and 1500 metres at the same Olympics, in 1964. Snel ...

to win

s in the

800 m The 800 metres, or 800 meters ( 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 an outdoor (400-metre) track and has been an Olympic event sin ...

and

1500 m 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 kilometer ...

at the same competition in a global competition (World Championship or Summer Olympics). He followed this with a

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 ...

at the

2006 Asian Games The 2006 Asian Games (), officially known as the XV Asiad or 15th Asian Games (, and commonly known as Doha 2006 (), were an Asian multi-sport event held in Doha, Qatar, from December 1 to 15, 2006, with 424 events in 39 sports featured in the ga ...

and upgraded his successive medal to the silver medal in the 1500 m at the 2007 World Championships. Ramzi won the gold at the

2008 Beijing Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes fr ...

the next year but he was later stripped of the Olympic title.

Doping scandal

In April 2009, the

Bahrain Olympic Committee Bahrain Olympic Committee (, IOC code: BRN) is the National Olympic Committee representing Bahrain as a member of the International Olympic Committee. It was formed in 1978 and received official recognition in 1979.CERA, an advanced version of the blood-boosting drug EPO. Ramzi’s backup “B” sample was tested on June 18, 2009, and in July 2009, it was announced Ramzi's "B" sample had tested positive as well. In November 2009, Ramzi was stripped of his gold medal. He spends much of his time in Morocco to train at high altitudes (the highest point in Bahrain is only 440 ft. above sea level).

Personal bests

Achievements

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ramzi, Rashid 1980 births Living people Sportspeople from Safi, Morocco Bahraini male middle-distance runners Moroccan male middle-distance runners Olympic athletes for Bahrain Competitors stripped of Summer Olympics medals Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics World Athletics Championships medalists Asian Games medalists in athletics (track and field) Athletes (track and field) at the 2002 Asian Games Athletes (track and field) at the 2006 Asian Games Athletes (track and field) at the 2014 Asian Games Doping cases in athletics Bahraini sportspeople in doping cases Naturalized citizens of Bahrain Moroccan emigrants to Bahrain Bahraini people of Moroccan descent Asian Games gold medalists for Bahrain Asian Games silver medalists for Bahrain Asian Games bronze medalists for Bahrain Medalists at the 2002 Asian Games Medalists at the 2006 Asian Games Medalists at the 2014 Asian Games World Athletics Championships winners Asian Athletics Championships winners Asian Indoor Athletics Championships winners Arab Athletics Championships winners 21st-century Moroccan sportsmen

Career

Early competition and transfer

Double world champion

Doping scandal

Personal bests

Achievements

See also

References

External links