Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad

Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad

Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad, Meeting Areva 2009.
Personal information
Nationality	France
Born	March 15, 1985 (1985-03-15) (age 26) Reims
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Weight	75 kg (170 lb)
Sport
Sport	Running
Event(s)	1500 metres, 3000 metres
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	1500m: 3:35.06 (Rabat 2009) 3000m: 7:44.98 (Hengelo 2010) 3000m steeplechase: 8:06.98 (Hengelo 2009)
Medal record Men’s Athletics Competitor for  France Olympic Games Silver 2008 Beijing 3000 m st. World Championships Bronze 2011 Daegu 3000 m st. European Championships Gold 2010 Barcelona 3000 m st. Continental Cup Bronze 2010 Split 3000 m st.

Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad (born March 15, 1985) is French track and field athlete who mainly competes in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He is of Algerian origin.^[1]

He made his first appearances as a junior athlete in 2004, running at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, where he was 61st in the junior race, and at the 2004 World Junior Championships in Athletics where he competed in the heats of the 3000 m steeplechase. He ran in the 1500 metres at the 2006 European Cup and he was eighth overall. Mekhissi-Benabbad represented France at the 2006 IAAF World Cup, but only managed eighth in the 1500 m event.

He beat all opposition at the 2007 European Athletics U23 Championships to win the steeplechase gold medal. He competed at his first major senior event later that year – the 2007 World Championships in Athletics. However, he was knocked out in the heats stage of the steeplechase competition. He made significant progression in 2008, knocking seconds off his personal best at the 2008 Summer Olympics to win the Olympic silver medal behind Brimin Kipruto. He improved further at the 2008 Weltklasse Zürich meeting, finishing behind Paul Kipsiele Koech but taking second place in a personal best time of 8:08.95,^[2] making him the fourth fastest steeplechaser that year.^[3]

He opened 2009 with an appearance over 3000 metres at the Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix, where he registered a personal best of 7:53.50.^[4] Another best came in the steeplechase at the FBK Games in Hengelo, again behind Kipruto, as he took second place in 8:06:98.^[5] Mekhissi-Benabbad took a prominent IAAF Golden League circuit win at the Meeting Areva with a time of 8:13.23,^[6] and he was selected for the 2009 World Championships. He was seen as a possible medallist but he failed to complete his heat after suffering an injury in the last lap of the race.^[7]

He took part in the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships, his first major indoor competition, and he reached the final of the 1500 m and finished in eighth with a time of 3:45.22. At the beginning of the outdoor season, he scored a steeplechase win in 8:08.82 over Ezekiel Kemboi and Richard Mateelong at the Meeting International Mohammed VI d'Athlétisme de Rabat.^[8] Competing on the French Alma Athlé Tour, he beat Bouabdellah Tahri's world best in the 2000 m steeplechase – who himself had beaten Julius Kariuki's 20-year-old record five days earlier. Mekhissi-Benabbad's run of 5:10.68 knocked nearly three seconds of the old mark.^[9]

Personal bests

Event	Time (sec)	Venue	Date
1000 metres	2:17.14	Tomblaine, France	26 June 2009
1500 metres	3:35.06	Rabat, Morocco	23 May 2009
3000 metres	7:53.50	Doha, Qatar	8 May 2009
3000 metres steeplechase	8:02.09	Paris, France	8 July 2011

• All information taken from IAAF profile.

Achievements

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing  France
2004	World Cross Country Championships	Brussels, Belgium	61st	Junior race
	World Junior Championships	Grosseto, Italy	10th (heats)	3000 m steeple
2006	European Cup	Malaga, Spain	8th	1500 m
	IAAF World Cup	Athens, Greece	8th	1500 m
2007	European Athletics U23 Championships	Debrecen, Hungary	1st	3000 m steeple
	World Championships	Osaka, Japan	6th (heats)	3000 m steeple
2008	Summer Olympics	Beijing, China	2nd	3000 m steeple
2009	World Championships	Berlin, Germany	—	3000 m steeple	DNF
2010	World Indoor Championships	Doha, Qatar	8th	1500 m
	European Championships	Barcelona, Spain	1st	3000 m steeple	8:07.87

References

1. ^ [1]
2. ^ Turner, Chris (2008-08-29). Jelimo hones in on historic mark; Bolt electrifies in Zürich – ÅF Golden League. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-04-27.
3. ^ 3000 Metres Steeplechase 2008. IAAF (2010-03-04). Retrieved on 2010-04-28.
4. ^ Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix 2009. IAAF (2009-05-08). Retrieved on 2010-04-28.
5. ^ van Hemert, Wim Four world leads in Hengelo – IAAF World Athletics Tour. IAAF (2009-06-01). Retrieved on 2010-04-28.
6. ^ Turner, Chris (2009-07-17). Bolt beats rain again, 9.79sec into slight head wind in Paris – REPORT – ÅF Golden League. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-07-22.
7. ^ Ramsak, Bob (2009-08-16). Event Report – Men's 3000m Steeplechase – Heats. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-08-17.
8. ^ Benchrif, Mohammed (2010-06-07). Fraser as expected and surprise from Mekhissi in Rabat – IAAF World Challenge. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-06-07.
9. ^ Vazel, Pierre-Vazel (2010-07-01). 2000m Steeple World best falls again, this time to Mekhissi-Benabbad in Reims; Robles hurdles 13.09. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-07-01.

External links

• IAAF profile for Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad

Persondata
Name	Mekhissi-Benabbad, Mahiedine
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	March 15, 1985
Place of birth	Reims
Date of death
Place of death