President
Diack hosts Golden League launch tomorrow in Rome - Said Aouita present to recall
his barrier-breaking world record
IAAF Release
27 June 2001 – Monte Carlo – Said
Aouita returns today to Rome where, on 22 July 1987, he became the first man to run 5000
metres in under 13 minutes – 12:58.39 – one of the defining moments in athletics
history. Aouita was, at the time, already world record holder and his time of 13:00.40 set
in Oslo in 1985, had improved the previous mark of Dave Moorcroft by 1/10th of
a second.
Aouita, also a former Olympic champion, will be the IAAF’s guest of honour on the occasion of President Lamine Diack’s lunch with the international press corps at the Hotel Jolly Midas at 13:30.
The eve of the Honda Golden Gala in Rome represents an opportunity to present the fourth edition of the IAAF Golden League and to announce a number of likely innovations in the future. The aim is to make the Golden League even more spectacular, as well as to reinforce the concept of head-to-head competition among the world’s best athletes.
Aouita knows all about head-to-heads, since he was a key player in some of the greatest Grand Prix races of all time back in the 1980s. His memorable Rome world record was the result of a stirring duel with Sydney Maree (USA) but Aouita will always be remembered for another confrontation which took place on 16 July 1985. On that date in Nice, Aouita raced Britain’s Steve Cram over 1500 metres. The race was decided almost by a photo-finish with Cram becoming the first man under 3:30 with 3:29.67, and the Moroccan just behind with 3:29.71. Aouita was so upset by his defeat that he bounced back later that season in Berlin to clock 3:29.46 – and add another world record to his CV.
In total, Aouita amassed five world records, including the 2000 metres and 3000 metres. He also won Olympic gold (5000 metres in 1984) and bronze (800 metres in 1988) as well as World Championship gold (5000 metres in 1987) and bronze (1500 metres in 1983).
