Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad (born 15 March 1985) is a French professional
middle-distance runner
Middle-distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle-distance event. The 1 ...
of
Algeria
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, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
n descent who mainly competes in the
3000 metres steeplechase
The 3000 metres steeplechase or 3000-meter steeplechase (usually abbreviated as ) is the most common distance for the steeplechase in track and field
Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, a ...
. He has won medals in major international competitions such as the
Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...
,
World Championships
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
,
European Championships
The European Championships is a multi-sport tournament which brings together the existing European Championships of some of the continent's leading sports every four years. The inaugural edition in 2018 was staged by the host cities of Berlin, ...
and
European Indoor Championships.
Mekhissi-Benabbad has gained notoriety for pushing the event's mascot after winning the 3000 meter steeplechase finals at the 2010 and 2012 European Championships.
Running career
2004-2007
Mekhissi-Benabbad made his first appearances as a junior athlete in 2004, running at the
2004 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 2004 IAAF World Cross Country Championships took place on March 20/21, 2004. The races were held at the Ossegem Park in Brussels, the capital of Belgium. Reports of the event were given in ''The New York Times'',
and for the IAAF.
...
, where he was 61st in the junior race, and at the
2004 World Junior Championships where he was eliminated in the heats of the 3000 m steeplechase. He ran in the
1500 metres
The 1500 metres or 1,500-metre run (typically pronounced 'fifteen-hundred metres') is the foremost middle distance track event in athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athletic ...
event at the
2006 European Cup, where he finished eighth. Mekhissi-Benabbad represented
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
at the
2006 IAAF World Cup
The 10th IAAF World Cup in Athletics was an international track and field sporting event, held under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, which took place on 16 and 17 September 2006 at the Olympic Stadium in Athe ...
, but only managed to finish eighth in the 1500 m event.
Mekhissi-Benabbad won the 3000 metres steeplechase
gold medal
A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture.
Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...
at the
2007 European Athletics U23 Championships
The 6th European Athletics U23 Championships was held between 12 and 15 July 2007 in the Gyulai István Athletic Stadium in Debrecen, Hungary.
Results
Complete results and medal winners were published.
Men
Women
†: In discus ...
. He competed in his first major senior event later that year – the
2007 World Championships - where he was eliminated in the heats of the 3000 metres steeplechase competition.
2008
Mekhissi-Benabbad made significant progress in 2008, knocking seconds off his personal best at the
2008 Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Nati ...
to win the Olympic
3000 metres steeplechase
The 3000 metres steeplechase or 3000-meter steeplechase (usually abbreviated as ) is the most common distance for the steeplechase in track and field
Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, a ...
silver medal
A silver medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc ...
in a time of 8:10.49, only 15 hundredths of a second behind the gold medallist
Brimin Kipruto
Brimin Kipruto (born 31 July 1985) is a Kenyan professional middle distance runner who specialises in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He was born in Korkitony, Keiyo District. He holds a personal best of 7:53.64 minutes which is the ...
. He became the first non-Kenyan in 24 years to finish first or second in the Olympic 3000 metres 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
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. Mekhissi-Benabbad improved further at the 2008
Weltklasse Zürich
Weltklasse Zürich ( en, World Class Zurich) is an annual, invitation-only, world-class track and field meeting at the Letzigrund in Zürich, Switzerland, generally held at the end of August or beginning of September. Previously one of the IAAF G ...
meeting, finishing behind
Paul Kipsiele Koech
Paul Kipsiele Koech (born 10 November 1981) is a Kenyan runner who specializes in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He won the 2004 Olympic bronze medal in this event. His personal best of 7:54.31 minutes is the third fastest of all time.
He was b ...
in second place in a personal best time of 8:08.95, making him the fourth fastest 3000 metres steeplechaser that year.
2009
Mekhissi-Benabbad opened the 2009 season with an appearance in the
3000 metres
The 3000 metres or 3000-metre run is a track running event, also commonly known as the "3K" or "3K run", where 7.5 laps are run around an outdoor 400 m track, or 15 laps around a 200 m indoor track.
It is debated whether the 3000m shoul ...
event at the
Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix, where he registered a personal best of 7:53.50. Another personal best came in the 3000 metres steeplechase at the
FBK Games
The FBK Games is an annual track and field event at the Fanny Blankers-Koen Stadion in Hengelo, Netherlands as part of the IAAF World Challenge Meetings. It was first organized in 1981. Its name honours Fanny Blankers-Koen, who won four gold med ...
in
Hengelo
Hengelo (; Tweants: ) is a city in the eastern part of the Netherlands, in the province of Overijssel. The city lies along the motorways A1/E30 and A35 and it has a station for the international Amsterdam – Hannover – Berlin service.
Popu ...
, again behind
Brimin Kipruto
Brimin Kipruto (born 31 July 1985) is a Kenyan professional middle distance runner who specialises in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He was born in Korkitony, Keiyo District. He holds a personal best of 7:53.64 minutes which is the ...
, as he took second place in 8:06:98. Mekhissi-Benabbad secured a prominent
2009 IAAF Golden League The 2009 Golden League is the 12th edition of the IAAF's annual series of six athletics meets, held across Europe, with athletes having the chance to win the Golden League Jackpot of $1 million.
Programme
Results Men
Women
Reference ...
race victory at the
Meeting Areva
Meeting de Paris (formerly known as the Meeting Areva and Meeting Gaz de France) is an annual track and field meeting at the Stade Sébastien Charléty in Paris, France. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now part of the Diamon ...
in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
with a time of 8:13.23. He was selected to represent France at the
2009 World Championships in
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
, where he was seen as a possible medallist in the 3000 metres steeplechase. But he failed to complete his heat in that event when he was forced to step off the track injured with just over a lap to go.
2010
Mekhissi-Benabbad took part in the
2010 World Indoor Championships, his first major indoor competition, where he reached the final of the 1500 m and finished in eighth position with a time of 3:45.22. During the outdoor season of 2010, he scored a steeplechase win in 8:08.82 over
Ezekiel Kemboi
Ezekiel Kemboi Cheboi (born 25 May 1982) is a Kenyan professional athlete, winner of the 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2004 Summer Olympics, the 2009 World Championships, the 2011 World Championships, the 2012 Summer Olympics, the 2013 W ...
and
Richard Mateelong
Richard Kipkemboi Mateelong (born 14 October 1983) is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner who specializes in the 3000 metre steeplechase. He won an Olympic bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and he has two World Champ ...
at the
Meeting International Mohammed VI d'Athlétisme de Rabat
The Meeting International Mohammed VI d'Athlétisme de Rabat is an annual track and field competition at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco as part of the IAAF World Challenge Meetings. It was first organized in 2008. Its name ...
. Competing in the
Reims
Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne.
Founded by ...
leg of the French
Alma Athlé Tour on 30 June 2010, he beat
Bouabdellah Tahri
Bouabdallah "Bob" Tahri (born 20 December 1978) is a retired
middle-distance and long-distance French runner, who was born in Metz. He competed mainly in the 3000 m steeplechase distance. He also competes in the 2000 m steeplechase, 1500 m, mi ...
's newly established world record time of 5:13.47 (set only 5 days earlier on 25 June 2010) in the 2000 m outdoor steeplechase. Mekhissi-Benabbad's
new world record time of 5:10.68 in that 2000 m outdoor steeplechase race was almost 4 seconds faster than the world record time of 5:14.43 set on 21 Aug 1990 by
Julius Kariuki
Julius Kariuki (born June 12, 1961) is the winner of the 3,000 m steeplechase at the 1988 Summer Olympics.
Born in Nyahururu, Kenya, Kariuki's athletic career started slowly. He made his international debut at the 1984 Summer Olympics, wh ...
, the Kenyan who would hold the 2000 m outdoor steeplechase world record for almost 20 years until it was broken by Tahri.
2012
Mekhissi-Benabbad won his second consecutive 3000 metres steeplechase Olympic silver medal at the
2012 Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. In the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
, with 200 metres in the race remaining,
Ezekiel Kemboi
Ezekiel Kemboi Cheboi (born 25 May 1982) is a Kenyan professional athlete, winner of the 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2004 Summer Olympics, the 2009 World Championships, the 2011 World Championships, the 2012 Summer Olympics, the 2013 W ...
was in the lead, followed by
Abel Kiprop Mutai in second place,
Roba Gari
Roba Gari ( Amharic: ሮባ ጋር; born 12 April 1982) is an Ethiopian runner, who specializes in the 3000 metres steeplechase.
He finished tenth at the 2007 World Championships, in his major international debut.
His personal best ...
in third place and Mekhissi-Benabbad in fourth place. Mekhissi-Benabbad then swept past both Gari and Mutai to finish second behind Kemboi. "I want to congratulate Ezekiel Kemboi because he won and it is not by chance because he won in 2004. ... He is stronger than me, but I do hope one day I can beat him," Mekhissi-Benabbad said right after the race. Right after the race, Kemboi did the victory dance he had become known for. He and Mekhissi-Benabbad exchanged jerseys and the diminutive Kemboi leaped into the much larger Mekhissi-Benabbad's arms.
2013
On 6 July 2013, Mekhissi-Benabbad set a
new 3000 metres steeplechase European outdoor record of 8:00.09 in the 3000 metres steeplechase race at the
Meeting Areva
Meeting de Paris (formerly known as the Meeting Areva and Meeting Gaz de France) is an annual track and field meeting at the Stade Sébastien Charléty in Paris, France. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now part of the Diamon ...
held in the
Stade de France
The Stade de France (, ) is the national stadium of France, located just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. Its seating capacity of 80,698 makes it the sixth-largest stadium in Europe. The stadium is used by the France national foot ...
. He beat the previous European outdoor record of 8:01.18 set in
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
at the
2009 World Championships by his compatriot
Bouabdellah Tahri
Bouabdallah "Bob" Tahri (born 20 December 1978) is a retired
middle-distance and long-distance French runner, who was born in Metz. He competed mainly in the 3000 m steeplechase distance. He also competes in the 2000 m steeplechase, 1500 m, mi ...
. Mekhissi-Benabbad finished second in that Meeting Areva 3000 metres steeplechase race, which was won by
Ezekiel Kemboi
Ezekiel Kemboi Cheboi (born 25 May 1982) is a Kenyan professional athlete, winner of the 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2004 Summer Olympics, the 2009 World Championships, the 2011 World Championships, the 2012 Summer Olympics, the 2013 W ...
in the world's best time of the year (7:59.03).
Mekhissi-Benabbad won his second consecutive 3000 metres steeplechase
World Championships
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
bronze medal at the
2013 World Championships in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
. With about 300 metres to go in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
, Mekhissi-Benabbad passed
Ezekiel Kemboi
Ezekiel Kemboi Cheboi (born 25 May 1982) is a Kenyan professional athlete, winner of the 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2004 Summer Olympics, the 2009 World Championships, the 2011 World Championships, the 2012 Summer Olympics, the 2013 W ...
, then
Paul Kipsiele Koech
Paul Kipsiele Koech (born 10 November 1981) is a Kenyan runner who specializes in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He won the 2004 Olympic bronze medal in this event. His personal best of 7:54.31 minutes is the third fastest of all time.
He was b ...
and became jointly in the lead with
Conseslus Kipruto
Conseslus Kipruto (born 8 December 1994) is a Kenyan middle-distance runner who specializes in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He was the 2016 Rio Olympic champion in the event. At the World Athletics Championships, Kipruto won gold medals in 20 ...
. Just after clearing the third-last hurdle in the final bend, Kemboi saw his chance and surged forward to pass both Mekhissi-Benabbad and Kipruto. From then on, Kemboi never relinquished his lead. Kipruto overtook Mekhissi-Benabbad at the start of the final straight and eventually finished second behind Kemboi. Right after the race, Mekhissi-Benabbad admitted that he was finding it hard to cope with the pressure. "In the French team I am under a lot of stress and pressure, but I have to deal with it the best I can. ... I had to settle for bronze again but it is never easy to win one. I am on the podium and that is what counts."
2014
At the
2014 European Athletics Championships
The 2014 European Athletics Championships was held in Zürich, Switzerland, between 12 and 17 August 2014. It was the first time that Switzerland had hosted the European Athletics Championships since 1954.
Great Britain headed the medal table, w ...
in
Zürich
Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...
, Mekhissi-Benabbad was disqualified after finishing first in the final of
3000m steeplechase. The action was taken after he removed his shirt on the home-straight of the final lap in an act of celebration, and the Spanish team lodged an official protest for "unsporting behaviour". The 3000m steeplechase gold medal was awarded to fellow French athlete
Yoann Kowal, who had finished second in that race.
Mekhissi-Benabbad would win the 1500m title three days later.
2015
In early April 2015, Mekhissi-Benabbad underwent an
operation
Operation or Operations may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity
* Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory
* ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Ma ...
on his right foot, which had been causing him pain, in a hospital in
Qatar
Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
. As he needed several months to recover from his operation, he was forced to miss the 2015 summer athletics season, including the
2015 World Championships in
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
.
2016
Mekhissi-Benabbad won the bronze medal in the 2016 Rio Olympic 3000m steeplechase final. Having crossed the line in fourth place, he controversially filed a complaint against
Ezekiel Kemboi
Ezekiel Kemboi Cheboi (born 25 May 1982) is a Kenyan professional athlete, winner of the 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2004 Summer Olympics, the 2009 World Championships, the 2011 World Championships, the 2012 Summer Olympics, the 2013 W ...
who had finished third. Kemboi was judged to have committed a lane violation, resulting in his disqualification.
Mascot abuse incidents
On 1 July 2012, the Finnish newspaper Karjalainen reported an incident involving Mekhissi-Benabbad at the
2012 European Championships in
Helsinki
Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...
. After winning the 3000 meter steeplechase final, Mekhissi-Benabbad walked over to the championship's
mascot
A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fi ...
“Appy”, which was being worn by a 14-year-old girl, smacked a gift bag out of her hands and pushed her with both hands.
[Estejuoksun voittaja sikaili EM-kisoissa](_blank)
(in Finnish). Iltalehti
''Iltalehti'' (literally "Evening newspaper") is a tabloid newspaper published in Helsinki, Finland.
History and profile
''Iltalehti'' was established in 1980 as afternoon edition of newspaper ''Uusi Suomi''. Alma Media is the owner of ''Iltal ...
. (2012-07-01). Retrieved on 2012-07-01. He was not fined and did not apologize regarding the incident. That was not the first time that Mekhissi-Benabbad had abused a mascot. After having again won the 3000 meter steeplechase final at the
2010 European Championships in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
, Mekhissi-Benabbad asked a mascot to kneel in front of him before he pushed it to the ground.
Fight with Mehdi Baala
On 22 July 2011, immediately after the 1500m race of the
Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
meeting of the
IAAF Diamond League
The Diamond League is an annual series of elite track and field athletic competitions comprising fourteen of the best invitational athletics meetings. The series sits in the top tier of the World Athletics (formerly known as the IAAF) one-day mee ...
, Mekhissi-Benabbad and his fellow competitor and compatriot
Mehdi Baala
Mehdi Baala ( ar, مهدي بعلة; born 17 August 1978 in Strasbourg) is a French, middle-distance runner competing mainly in the 1500 metres event. Baala has won several major international championships medals in the 1500 metres event – ...
traded blows on the track. The French Athletics Federation handed Mekhissi-Benabbad and Baala a suspension of 10 months each—5 months suspended—from all European Athletics and IAAF track meets. Both were each fined 1500 euros and ordered to perform 50 hours of community service. Mekhissi-Benabbad and Baala were nevertheless cleared to take part in the upcoming
2011 World Championships.
[French runners trade blows on track](_blank)
Eurosport.com 22 July 2011
Personal bests
*
All information taken from IAAF profile.
Results in international competitions
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mekhissi-Benabbad, Mahiedine
1985 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Reims
French male middle-distance runners
French male steeplechase runners
Olympic athletes of France
Olympic silver medalists for France
Olympic bronze medalists for France
Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics
World Athletics Championships medalists
European Athletics Championships medalists
French sportspeople of Algerian descent
Olympic silver medalists in athletics (track and field)
Olympic bronze medalists in athletics (track and field)
Olympic male steeplechase runners
European Championships (multi-sport event) gold medalists
European Athletics Championships winners
20th-century French people
21st-century French people