Noureddine MORCELI

Noureddine Morceli had totally dominated middle distance running in the early part of the 1990s. By the end of 1995, he had won three consecutive world 1500m titles, and simultaneously held the world records for 1500m, 1 mile, 2000m and 3000m. The only jewel missing from his crown was an Olympic medal, as he had finished an uncharacteristic 7th in the 1500m at his only Olympic appearance in 1992.

Morceli sought to rectify that omission in 1996, and during the early part of the season he produced a number of good performances, which included the fastest times in the world for 1500m, 1 mile, and 2000m prior to the Olympic Games in Atlanta. The only possible danger to Morceli seemed to be the emerging young Moroccan, Hicham El Guerrouj, who had finished second to Morceli at the previous year's World Championships. El Guerrouj had an equally good season as Morceli up to the end of July, but the two champions had not met head to head, and therefore, their confrontation at the Olympics was keenly anticipated.

After breezing through his heat on 29 July (see photo above), Morceli won the first semi-final two days later, and the expectation of his clash with El Guerrouj was further increased when the Moroccan won the second semi-final. In the end, their clash in the final on 3 August turned into an anticlimax. Nearing the end of the third lap, Morceli was leading, with El Guerrouj tucked in behind him. Suddenly, El Guerrouj made contact with Morceli's trailing leg, tripped, and fell heavily to the ground, causing runners following to take quick, evasive action. While the other runners negotiated the prone Moroccan, Morceli started his sprint for home, opening up an unassailable lead, and continuing on to win his long awaited Olympic gold medal. (Ron Casey)

It is said that all good things must eventually come to an end, and so it was that the dominance that Noureddine Morceli had enjoyed over the world's middle distance runners for the seven seasons from 1990 to 1996 finally faded away in the 1997 season. The signs had been there during the 1996 season with the emergence of the talented young Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj, who had brought Morceli's winning streak at 1500m/1 mile, which started in 1992, to an end when he defeated him over 1500m at the Grand Prix final in Milan on 7 September 1996. El Guerrouj took over Morceli's mantle as the world's premier middle-distance runner in 1997, while the latter tried to stem the tide of his gradual decline. In the World Championships at Athens, Morceli easily won his heat on 3 August (see photo above © G.H. ) and the second semi-final the following day.

El Guerrouj had won the first semi-final, but their anticipated showdown in the final did not live up to expectations, with El Guerrouj winning easily, while Morceli finished fourth, just pipped out of third place by young Spaniard Reyes Estevez in the final strides. Morceli had a reasonable season in 1998, recording a number of wins in minor meets, but he did not compete against the majority of the top runners. Although Morceli's career was moving towards its inevitable end, he was not prepared to go quietly, and in 1999, at Seville, he qualified for his fifth straight 1500m final at a World Championships, where he dropped out at the bell when well out of medal contention. Noureddine's last appearance at a major international championships was at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, where he jogged in last in his semi-final after being involved in a collision in the home straight. (Ron Casey)