Double Olympic champion El Guerrouj retires
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-05-23 08:50
"But what I want to remember about his exemplary career is not only his
multiple records, world records and other hard-earned honours, but above all
else, his generosity and kindness as a human being," Diack added.
DEMONS EXORCISED
El Guerrouj's 1,500-5,000 double in Athens was the first since Finn Paavo
Nurmi's in 1924 and exorcised the demons from his previous Olympic appearances.
At the 1996 Atlanta Games, El Guerrouj fell at the bell and four years later
in Sydney he was outsprinted by Kenyan Noah Ngeny.
But in Athens, El Guerrouj confirmed his greatness in emphatic fashion.
He won the 1,500 metres final in style, pouncing at 800 to hold off Kenyan
rival Bernard Lagat. Four days later, he won the most eagerly awaited track
clash of the Games in the 5,000 against Ethiopia's 10,000 metres champion
Kenenisa Bekele.
El Guerrouj won the first of his four world titles in 1997, also in Athens,
ending Algerian Noureddine Morceli's six-year reign as champion.
He shattered Morceli's 1,500 world record by over a second a year later and
became practically unbeatable over the distance until suffering a shock defeat
in Rome in July 2004.
El Guerrouj finished eighth on the track where he had set his 1,500 and mile
world records for only his fourth loss in eight years, two of which were at the
1996 and 2000 Olympics.
He said his form had been affected by breathing problems but he appeared to
have put his health problems behind him at the Olympics.
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