Hassiba Boulmerka

Hassiba Boulmerka (born 10 July 1968 in Constantine, Algeria) is a former Algerian middle distance athlete.

Boulmerka started running seriously at the age of ten. She focused on the 800 and 1500 metres. She was successful in national and regional races. Her first major international tournament was the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.  She was eliminated in the preliminary heat of both the 800 and 1500 m.

The first major race she won was the 800 m. at the Golden Gala race in Rome, Italy. A month later, she was at the World Championships. She won the 1500 m.

Muslim groups in Algeria did not like her.  They thought she showed too much of her body when racing. Boulmerka received death threats.Hassiba Boulmerka: Defying death threats to win gold, BBC, 2012-02-11. Retrieved 2012-02-11. She had to move to Europe to train. She won the 1500 m gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. It was Algeria's first gold medal at the Olympic Games.

She won a bronze medal at the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart. In 1995, she did not win a single race until the World Championships in Gothenburg.  She was at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, but sprained her ankle in the semi-finals. She stopped racing after 1997.

Boulmerka was later elected to the Athletes' Commission of the International Olympic Committee.

Boulmerka has returned to Algeria and is now a businesswoman.

References

Category:1968 births
Category:Living people
Category:Olympic gold medalists for Algeria
Category:International Olympic Committee
Category:Middle-distance runners