Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad participant in athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics – men's 3000 metres steeplechase
2008
Mekhissi-Benabbad made significant progress in 2008, knocking seconds off his personal best at the 2008 Olympics to win the Olympic 3000 m steeplechase silver medal in a time of 8:10.49, only 15 hundredths of a second behind the gold medallist Brimin Kipruto. He became the first non-Kenyan in 24 years to finish first or second in the Olympic 3000 m steeplechase event. Coincidentally, the last non-Kenyan to do so was a Frenchman—Joseph Mahmoud—who won the silver medal at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Mekhissi-Benabbad improved further at the 2008 Weltklasse Zürich meeting, finishing behind Paul Kipsiele Koech in second place in a personal best time of 8:08.95, making him the fourth fastest 3000 m steeplechaser that year.
engaged in involved in took part in played a role in contributed to