Noureddine Morceli facts for kids
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| Born | 28 February 1970 Ténès, Algeria |
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| Height | 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 60 kg (132 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Algeria |
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| Sport | Track | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | 1500 metres | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 800 metres: 1:44.79 1500 metres: 3:27.37 NR Mile: 3:44.39 NR 3000 metres: 7:25.11 5000 metres: 13:03.85 |
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Medal record
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Noureddine Morceli (born February 28, 1970) is a famous retired runner from Algeria. He was amazing at middle-distance races like the 1500 metres. Noureddine won a gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics. He also won three gold medals in a row at the World Championships in Athletics for the 1500 metres.
Noureddine Morceli set many world records during his career. These included records for the 1500 metres, the mile, 2000 metres, and 3000 metres. At one point, he held six world records at the same time! He was a true champion in the world of running.
Contents
The Amazing Running Career of Noureddine Morceli
How Noureddine Started Running
Noureddine Morceli was born in Ténès, Algeria. When he was seven years old, his older brother, Abderrahmane, inspired him. Abderrahmane was also a great runner. He even finished fourth in the 1500 metres at the 1977 World Cup. Later, Abderrahmane became Noureddine's coach.
In the early 1980s, Noureddine looked up to Saïd Aouita. Saïd was a Moroccan runner who won a gold medal at the 1984 Olympic Games. By the time Noureddine was 17, he had already won a silver medal. This was in the 1500 metres at the World Junior Championships.
Training in California
A year later, Noureddine went to Riverside Community College in California. He chose this college because it had great coaches and running tracks. He trained there for two years. By the end of his time there, he had run the fastest 1500 metres in the world for 1990.
When he was 20, Noureddine was ranked number one in the world for the 1500 metres. He kept getting better and better. In 1992, he set a new outdoor world record for the 1500 metres. In 1993, he broke the world record for the mile. Then, in 1994, he set a new world record for the 3000 metres.
Holding Multiple World Records
By the end of 1994, Noureddine Morceli had achieved even more. In August, he broke the outdoor world record for the 3000 metres. His time was 7 minutes and 25.11 seconds. This meant he held five middle-distance world records at once! These included the outdoor 1500 metres (3 minutes 28.86 seconds) and the mile (3 minutes 44.39 seconds). He also held indoor records for the 1000 metres and 1500 metres.
Noureddine was named "Athlete of the Year" by Track & Field News in 1993 and 1994. The International Athletic Foundation also gave him this award in 1994. During these two years, he only lost one race, which was an 800-metre event.
Bringing Glory to Algeria
Noureddine's main goal was to bring honor to his home country, Algeria. He wanted to set more records in other races, like the 800 metres, 2000 metres, and 5000 metres. Sportswriters often called him the greatest runner in the world. Some even said he was the greatest of all time!
One example of his strong spirit was his win at the 1994 Grand Prix. He was sick with the flu, but he still ran and won the race. He left all the other runners behind.
Rivalry with Hicham El Guerrouj
A new challenger appeared for Morceli: Hicham El Guerrouj from Morocco. Noureddine beat El Guerrouj in the 1500 metres at the 1995 outdoor world championships. However, their race at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta was very exciting.
In that Olympic final, Morceli and El Guerrouj were leading. With 400 metres left, El Guerrouj tripped and fell. This allowed Noureddine Morceli to win the gold medal. Later that year, Morceli lost the 1500-metre race to El Guerrouj for the first time in years. Noureddine continued to compete, including at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, before he retired.
Noureddine's Career Highlights
Early Successes
Noureddine Morceli first became well-known in athletics in 1988. He won a silver medal in the 1500 metres at the World Junior Championships. He often returned to Riverside, California, in the winter to train in the mild weather.
His brother, Abderrahmane, was his coach. Abderrahmane had also run for Algeria in the 1980 and 1984 Olympic Games.
Dominance in the Early 1990s
In 1990, Noureddine became a senior athlete. He set the best time of the season for the 1500 metres. He continued to be dominant in 1991. He broke the world indoor record for the 1500 metres in Seville, Spain. Just nine days later, he won the 1500 metres title at the World Indoor Championships on the same track.
Throughout the 1991 outdoor season, Morceli was unbeatable in the 1500 metres. At the World Championships in Tokyo, he was the clear favorite. He won easily, setting a new World Championships record. He finished with a two-second lead over the silver medalist.
Olympic Challenge in 1992
In early 1992, Morceli set a new indoor world record for the 1000 metres. Everyone thought he would easily win a gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. However, before the Olympics, he unexpectedly lost a couple of races.
The Olympic final was run at a very slow pace. This was not the kind of race Morceli was used to. When the final sprint began, he couldn't respond as well as he usually did. He finished in a disappointing seventh place. But just a few days later, he set the world's best time for the season in Monaco. A week after that, he broke his personal best in Zurich. In September 1992, Morceli set a new 1500 metres world record in Rieti, Italy.
Breaking More Records (1993-1995)
In 1993, Morceli almost broke his own world record when he won the Mediterranean Games. He then aimed to break Steve Cram's eight-year-old record for the Mile. He was almost unbeatable that season. At the World Championships in Stuttgart, he easily won the 1500 metres final. He sprinted away in the last lap to keep his world title.
A few weeks later, he finally broke the Mile record. He ran it in 3 minutes and 44.39 seconds. This was the first time anyone had run a mile at 16 miles per hour!
In 1994, he set a new 3000 metres world record. He also tried running the 5000 metres successfully. The only race he lost that season was an unusual 800 metres event. In 1995, Morceli broke the 2000 metres world record. Nine days later, he set the last world record of his amazing career. He lowered his own 1500 metres record to 3 minutes and 27.37 seconds in Nice, France. Soon after, he easily defended his 1500 metres World Champion title in Gothenburg.
Later Career and Retirement
At the start of the 1996 season, Morceli set a world season's best time. But then, Hicham El Guerrouj appeared as a new strong opponent. At the 1996 Summer Olympics, Morceli was under a lot of pressure. In the final, El Guerrouj fell, and Morceli sped up to win the gold medal. This was ahead of the previous Olympic champion.
At the end of 1996, Morceli lost a 1500 metres race to El Guerrouj. This was his first 1500 metres defeat in four years. In the 1997 World Championships in Athens, Morceli finished fourth. In 1999, he reached his fifth straight 1500 metres final at a World Championships but did not finish the race. Morceli's last major international competition was at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.
After Running: A New Role
Since retiring from running, Noureddine Morceli has continued to be involved in sports. He works as an ambassador for the sport. He helps with the International Olympic Commission and the African Games. He also helps young track and field athletes develop their skills in Algeria.
In January 2020, he was appointed as the Secretary of State for Elite Sport in Algeria. This role was part of the new government. He was chosen as an independent member, meaning he did not belong to any political party. He was replaced in June 2020.
Major International Competitions
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing Algeria |
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| 1988 | World Junior Championships | Sudbury, Canada | 2nd | 1500 m | 3:46.93 |
| 1991 | World Indoor Championships | Seville, Spain | 1st | 1500 m | 3:41.57 |
| World Championships | Tokyo, Japan | 1st | 1500 m | 3:32.84 CR | |
| 1992 | Olympic Games | Barcelona, Spain | 7th | 1500 m | 3:41.70 |
| 1993 | World Championships | Stuttgart, Germany | 1st | 1500 m | 3:34.24 |
| 1995 | World Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 1st | 1500 m | 3:33.73 |
| 1996 | Olympic Games | Atlanta, United States | 1st | 1500 m | 3:35.78 |
| 1997 | World Championships | Athens, Greece | 4th | 1500 m | 3:37.37 |
| 1999 | World Championships | Seville, Spain | 12th | 1500 m | DNF |
| 2000 | Olympic Games | Sydney, Australia | 24th (sf) | 1500 m | 4:00.78 |
See also
In Spanish: Nuredin Morceli para niños
