- Nawal El Moutawakel
-
Medal record Women's Athletics Competitor for Morocco
Olympic Games Gold 1984 Los Angeles 400m Hurdles Mediterranean Games Gold 1983 Casablanca 400m Hurdles Gold 1987 Latakia 400m Hurdles Nawal El Moutawakel (Arabic: نوال المتوكل) (born on April 15, 1962 in Casablanca) is a Moroccan hurdler, who won the inaugural women's 400 m hurdles event at the 1984 Summer Olympics, thereby becoming the first female Muslim born on the continent of Africa to become an Olympic champion.[1] She was also the first Moroccan and the first woman from a Muslim majority country to win an Olympic gold medal.[2] In 2007, El Moutawakel was named the Minister of Sports in the upcoming cabinet of Morocco.
Although she had been a quite accomplished runner, the victory of El Moutawakel, who studied at Iowa State University at the time, was a surprise. The King of Morocco telephoned El Moutawakel to give his congratulations, and he declared that all girls born the day of her victory were to be named in her honor.[3] Her medal also meant the breakthrough for sporting women in Morocco and other mostly Muslim countries.
She was a pioneer for Muslim and Arabic athletes in that she confounded long-held beliefs that women of such backgrounds could not succeed in athletics.[4]
In 1995, El Moutawakel became a council member of the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF), and in 1998 she became a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
El Moutawakel is a member of the International Olympic Committee, and she was the president of evaluation commissions for the selection of the host city for the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympic Games.[5]
In 2006, El Moutawakel was one of the eight bearers of the Olympic flag at the 2006 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony in Turin, Italy.
Achievements
Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes Representing Morocco
1982 African Championships Cairo, Egypt 2nd 100 m 11.7 s 1st 100 m hurdles 13.8 s 1st 400 m hurdles 58.42 s References
- ^ Billings, Andrew C. (2008). Olympic media. New York: Routledge. p. 3. ISBN 0415772508. http://books.google.com/books?id=OGndq_P4C44C&pg=PA2&dq=taiwan+winter+olympics+boycott&ei=gRHBSfrqJ4PGlQSjpIXHDg#PPA3,M1. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
- ^ Nawal El Moutawakel Wise Muslim Women. Retrieved 09 April 2011
- ^ Olympic report
- ^ Benchrif, Mohamed (1999-03-11). Nawal El Moutawakel - Pioneer and militant for Progress. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-03-31.
- ^ IOC Announces 2016 Summer Games Evaluation Commission
External links
Preceded by
Dot RichardsonFlo Hyman Memorial Award
2003Succeeded by
Kristi YamaguchiOlympic Champions in Women's 400 m Hurdles 1984: Nawal El Moutawakel (MAR) • 1988: Debbie Flintoff-King (AUS) • 1992: Sally Gunnell (GBR) • 1996: Deon Hemmings (JAM) • 2000: Irina Privalova (RUS) • 2004: Fani Halkia (GRE) • 2008: Melaine Walker (JAM)
Mediterranean Champions in Women's 400 m Hurdles 1983: Nawal El Moutawakel (MAR) • 1987: Nawal El Moutawakel (MAR) • 1991: Nezha Bidouane (MAR) • 1993: Nezha Bidouane (MAR) • 1997: Nezha Bidouane (MAR) • 2001: Sylvanie Morandais (FRA) • 2005: Benedetta Ceccarelli (ITA) • 2009: Phara Anacharsis (FRA)
Summer Universiade Champions in Women's 400 m Hurdles 1981: Anna Kastyetskaya (URS) • 1983: Yekaterina Fesenko (URS) • 1985: Margarita Novitskaite (URS) • 1987: Nawal El Moutawakel (MAR) • 1989: Margarita Khromova (URS) • 1991: Gretha Tromp (NED) • 1993–95: Heike Meißner (GER) • 1997: Tatyana Tereshchuk (UKR) • 1999: Daimí Pernía (CUB) • 2001: Tasha Danvers (GBR) • 2003: Maren Schott (GER) • 2005: Marina Shiyan (RUS) • 2007: Tatyana Azarova (KAZ) • 2009: Vania Stambolova (BUL) • 2011: Anna Yaroshchuk (UKR)
Categories:- 1962 births
- Moroccan sportsperson–politicians
- Living people
- People from Casablanca
- Moroccan athletes
- Hurdlers
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics
- Olympic athletes of Morocco
- Olympic gold medalists for Morocco
- International Olympic Committee members
- Iowa State University alumni
- Government ministers of Morocco
- Moroccan women in politics
- Olympic medalists in athletics (track and field)
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