Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad
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Born | Reims, France | 15 March 1985|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 79 kg (174 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Country | France | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | Middle-distance running | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Event(s) | 1000 metres, 1500 m, 3000 m, 2000 m steeplechase, 3000 m steeplechase | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Retired | 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal bests | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad (born 15 March 1985) is a retired French professional
He has gained notoriety for pushing the event's mascot after winning the 3000 m steeplechase finals at the 2010 and 2012 European Championships.[1][2][3] Mekhissi-Benabbad is the European record holder for the 3000 m steeplechase, set in 2013, and also holds the world best in the 2000 m steeplechase, set in 2010.[4]
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, 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 event at the 2006 European Cup, where he finished eighth. Mekhissi-Benabbad represented France at the 2006 IAAF World Cup, but only managed to finish eighth in the 1500 m event.
Mekhissi-Benabbad won the 3000 m steeplechase gold medal at the 2007 European Athletics U23 Championships. 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 m steeplechase competition.
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,[5] making him the fourth fastest 3000 m steeplechaser that year.[6]
2009
Mekhissi-Benabbad opened the 2009 season with an appearance in the
2010
Mekhissi-Benabbad took part in the
2012
Mekhissi-Benabbad won his second consecutive 3000 m steeplechase Olympic silver medal at the
2013
On 6 July 2013, Mekhissi-Benabbad set a
Mekhissi-Benabbad won his second consecutive 3000 m steeplechase
2014
At the 2014 European Athletics Championships in Zürich, Mekhissi-Benabbad was disqualified after finishing first in the final of 3000 m 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 3000 m steeplechase gold medal was awarded to fellow French athlete Yoann Kowal, who had finished second in that race.[16] Mekhissi-Benabbad would win the 1500m title three days later.
2015
In early April 2015, Mekhissi-Benabbad underwent an operation on his right foot, which had been causing him pain, in a hospital in Qatar. 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.[17]
2016
Mekhissi-Benabbad won the bronze medal in the 2016 Rio Olympic 3000 m steeplechase final.[18] Having crossed the line in fourth place, he controversially filed a complaint against Ezekiel Kemboi who had finished third. Kemboi was judged to have committed a lane violation, resulting in his disqualification.[19]
Mascot abuse incidents
After winning the 3000 meter steeplechase final at the 2010 European Championships in Barcelona, Mekhissi-Benabbad asked a mascot to kneel in front of him before he pushed it to the ground.[2]
On 1 July 2012, the Finnish newspaper Karjalainen reported an incident involving Mekhissi-Benabbad at the 2012 European Championships in Helsinki. After winning the 3000 m steeplechase final, Mekhissi-Benabbad walked over to the championship's mascot “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.[1] He was not fined and did not apologize regarding the incident.
Fight with Mehdi Baala
On 22 July 2011, immediately after the 1500 m race of the
Personal bests
Event | Time (sec) | Venue | Date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1000 metres | 2:17.14 | Tomblaine, France | 26 June 2009 | |
1500 metres | 3:33.12 | Tomblaine, France | 2 July 2013 | |
2000 metres steeplechase | 5:10.68 WB | Reims, France | 30 June 2010 | World best |
3000 metres | 7:44.98 | Hengelo, Netherlands | 30 May 2010 | |
3000 metres steeplechase | 8:00.09 | Paris, France | 6 July 2013 | European record |
- All information taken from World Athletics profile.
Results in international competitions
Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2004 | World Cross Country Championships | Brussels, Belgium | 61st | Junior race | 27:08 |
World Junior Championships | Grosseto, Italy | 29th (h) | 3000 m steeple | 9:09.53 | |
2005 | European U23 Championships | Erfurt, Germany | 13th (h) | 3000 m steeple | 8:49.95 |
2006 | European Cup | Málaga, Spain | 8th | 1500 m | |
IAAF World Cup | Athens, Greece | 8th | 1500 m | 3:55.89
| |
2007 | European U23 Championships | Debrecen, Hungary | 1st | 3000 m steeple | 8:33.91 |
World Championships | Osaka, Japan | 22nd (h) | 3000 m steeple | 8:33.11 | |
2008 | Olympic Games | Beijing, China | 2nd | 3000 m steeple | 8:10.49
|
DécaNation | Paris, France | 1st | 3000 m steeple | 8:53.71 | |
2009 | World Championships | Berlin, Germany | – (h) | 3000 m steeple | DNF |
2010 | World Indoor Championships | Doha, Qatar | 8th | 1500 m | 3:45.22 |
European Championships
|
Barcelona, Spain | 1st | 3000 m steeple | 8:07.87 | |
IAAF Continental Cup | Split, Croatia | 3rd | 3000 m steeple | 8:09.96
| |
DécaNation | Annecy, France | 1st | 3000 m steeple | 8:27.27 | |
2011 | World Championships | Daegu, South Korea | 3rd | 3000 m steeple | 8:16.09 |
2012 | European Championships
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Helsinki, Finland | 1st | 3000 m steeple | 8:33.23 |
Olympic Games | London, United Kingdom | 2nd | 3000 m steeple | 8:19.08 | |
2013 | European Indoor Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 1st | 1500 m | 3:37.17 |
World Championships | Moscow, Russia | 3rd | 3000 m steeple | 8:07.86 | |
2014 | European Championships
|
Zürich, Switzerland | 1st | 1500 m | 3:45.60 |
DQ[22] | 3000 m steeple | 8:33.23 | |||
2016 | European Championships | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 1st | 3000 m steeple | 8:25.63 |
Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 3rd | 3000 m steeple | 8:11.52 | |
2017 | World Championships | London, United Kingdom | 30th (h) | 1500 m | 3:46.17 |
4th | 3000 m steeple | 8:15.80 | |||
DécaNation | Angers, France | 1st | 2000 m | 5:22.85 | |
2018 | European Championships | Berlin, Germany | 1st | 3000 m steeple | 8:31.66 |
References
- ^ a b Estejuoksun voittaja sikaili EM-kisoissa. (in Finnish). Iltalehti. (2012-07-01). Retrieved on 2012-07-01.
- ^ a b "Unsporting: runner wins, then shoves mascot". The Age. July 3, 2012. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
- ^ a b French runners trade blows on track Eurosport.com 22 July 2011
- European Athletics. 4 January 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
- IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-04-27.
- IAAF(2010-03-04). Retrieved on 2010-04-28.
- IAAF(2009-05-08). Retrieved on 2010-04-28.
- IAAF(2009-06-01). Retrieved on 2010-04-28.
- IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-07-22.
- IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-08-17.
- IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-06-07.
- ^ "Réunion de Reims : Mekhissi répond à Tahri". 1 July 2010.
- ^ "2012 Men's Olympic Steeplechase: Ezekiel Kemboi Wins Second Olympic Steeplechase Title - Is He The Greatest Steeplechaser In History?". LetsRun.com. August 5, 2012.
- ^ "Mekhissi a son record". L'Équipe. 6 July 2013.
- ^ "'I'm the king', says peerless Ezekiel Kemboi". Agence France Presse. 16 August 2013.
- ^ "European Championships: Athlete loses gold for removing shirt". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
- ^ "Athlétisme : Mekhissi forfait pour les Mondiaux en août". Le Monde. 8 Apr 2015.
- ^ Myerberg, Paul. "Bronze medalist Ezekiel Kemboi disqualified in steeplechase | USA Today". Retrieved 2016-08-18.
- ^ Koech, B. M. "Kemboi Disqualified | Athletes of Kenya". Archived from the original on 2016-08-26. Retrieved 2016-08-18.
- ^ Associated Press. "Brawling runners cleared for worlds". ESPN Olympic Sports. Associated Press. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
- ^ "French runners provisionally suspended after Monaco brawl". BBC. July 23, 2011.
- ^ "Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad stripped of steeplechase gold after stripping off at European Championship".
External links
- Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad at World Athletics
- Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2020-04-17.