5 incredible record-holding Arab Olympians

Arab athletes have been successful at the Olympic Games for decades, racking up more than 90 Olympic medals since Egypt became the first Arab country to participate in the 1912 Olympics.

Despite the political chaos, social constraints, shortage of funding and minimal governmental focus on sports, Arab athletes have become a significant part of every international sporting event. They have been serious contenders in world championships, achieving remarkable results in different types of sports.

An exceptional bunch has also managed to set regional and international sports records. Here are five Arab Olympic athletes who currently hold records:

Morocco’s middle-distance runner is one of the greatest of all time. He is not only a double Olympic gold medalist but also the holder of five world records . El Guerrouj registered the world records for the men’s indoor 1,500 meter and one-mile races in 1997, men’s outdoor 1,500 meter race in 1998, and men’s outdoor one-mile and 2,000 meter races in 1999. Over a decade has passed, yet no runner has successfully exceeded either record. He has also won seven gold and two silver World Championship medals.

El Guerrouj was declared IAAF World Athlete of the Year in 2001, 2002 and 2003, becoming the first male athlete to win the award in consecutive years. In 2014, the legend was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the International Association of Athletics Federations. El Guerrouj, a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and IAAF Award to Humanitarian Effort recipient, has made sure to give back to his community by advocating for peace and helping the needy.

Currently the only Arab woman in IAAF’s world records , this Moroccan runner holds the record for the 10 km women-only outdoor race, which she set in 2002. Leghzaoui competed in the 2000 Sydney and 2008 Bejing Olympic Games. She has reached the finals of several World Championships, African Championships, World Cross Country Championships and World Half Marathon Championships. Additionally, Leghzaoui won gold at the 1999 Pan Arab Games and the 2001 Mediterranean Games.

However, in 2003, she was suspended for two years after testing positive for EPO, a performance-enhancing drug. Afterwards, she remorsefully returned to the American race tracks, winning five out of six races and setting four course records. "I feel guilt, I feel guilt for what I have done to the sport, to my family and to myself," she said. "We want to send a message to the world that athletes can reach a high level without EPO, that with training and talent you can achieve. I hope anybody who listens or reads this will learn from my experience, because I paid my price. I don't wish for anybody to pay that price."

Elseify has held the world record for the Under-20 men’s outdoor 6 kg hammer throw since 2012. He won gold at the 2012 and 2014 IAAF World Junior Championships, as well as the 2012 Asian Junior Championship where he defeated his brother in the final.

This summer, the 21-year-old is joining the big leagues at the largest international sporting event. Elseify is listed among the seven athletes who will represent Qatar in the athletics event at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. He says , “We have to achieve something great for Qatar, raise its flag at the Olympics, and make Qataris happy.”

This heptathlete won Syria’s only gold Olympic medal at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympic Games. She had leaped from 25th place in Barcelona’s 1992 Olympics to become first in the following Olympics. Shouaa has maintained the Asian record for the women’s outdoor heptathlon since 1996. Moreover, she won first-place and third-place at the 1995 and 1999 IAAF World Championships in Athletics, respectively.

Shouaa was ranked the world’s best heptathlete in 1995 and 1996. The Asian champion also competed in the long jump, javelin, high jump and 100 meter hurdles categories, winning more than 15 titles at the Pan Arab Games and Pan Arab Championships. Though she had started off as a basketball player, playing for Syria’s national team, Shouaa realized her potential in athletics at the age of 12 after successfully chasing down and capturing a pet rabbit.

This swimmer is one of Tunisia’s most accomplished athletes. In 2009, Mellouli set the current African records for the 400 meter, 800 meter and 1500 meter freestyle races. The four-time world champion has taken part in all the Olympic Games since Sydney’s 2000 Olympics. At the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Mellouli became the first African male swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal in an individual swimming event when he won the men’s 1,500 meter freestyle.

He earned a second gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, but this time it was for the men’s 10 km open- water event, along with a bronze for the 1,500 meter freestyle. Despite being criticized for his relatively old age, Mellouli eyed Rio 2016, aiming to become the first African athlete to win a gold medal in three consecutive Olympic Games. He trained with renowned coach Bob Bowman and swimming idol Michael Phelps, yet unfortunately the 32-year-old has failed to qualify for the Rio Olympics.