Nezha Bidouane of Morocco in the heats of the 400m Hurdles (© Getty Images)
Rabat, MoroccoThe former twotime women’s World 400m Hurdles champion Nezha Bidouane officially announced her decision to retire from the sport on Saturday evening (15 Jan) at a celebration held in the national theatre Mohammed V. The occasion was organised by the national federation to honour the best Moroccan athletes, coaches and officials of last year.
Hicham El Guerrouj, who most deservedly and quite expectedly was honoured again as the best Moroccan athlete, for the first time since his double gold medal winning triumphs at the Athens Olympics last summer found himself upstaged by another athlete. Yet there is no doubt that on this occasion he was content to let the plaudits rain on the career of another great Moroccan athlete.
“Nezha Bidouane has been courageous as it is difficult to make such a decision as this but it is the law of sport,” commented El Guerrouj. “The name of Nezha, an athlete who has given so much will be engraved in the memory.”
Bidouane, 35 years-old, last raced 400m Hurdles on 6 October 2004 in Alger when she took part in the Pan-Arab Games, and what an appropriate ending this turns out to have been for her illustrious career. Running her specialist discipline in 55.98, she finished well clear of Moussa Houria of Algeria (57.51), to cast a final golden seal on her haul of athletics honours. What’s more she returned home with three golds, thanks to her participation in the 4x100 and 4x400m Moroccan squads.
The Moroccan who took World 400m Hurdles gold in 1997 and 2001, had begun a comeback after over two years of injury on 19 June 2004 in Rabat winning in 56.58. After that she raced three other times before the Olympics with a best of 54.89 in Heusden, Belgium (31 July). However, the Sydney Olympic bronze medallist and holder of the Area record (Seville World Champs, silver, 52.90 – 1999) could not manage to get past the opening round in the Athens. Her next race, the individual victory in the Pan-Arab Games, was other than her opening competition in Rabat her only win of the 2004 season.
Ironically, despite her considerable success Bidouane’s career at 400m Hurdles will perhaps be best remembered for her most high profile defeat, at the 1999 World Championships in Seville, Spain, one of the most epic hurdles races in history. Up against Olympic champion Deon Hemmings in the final on 25 August, both favourites found themselves trailing the surprising Cuban Daimi Pernia as the three headed to the last hurdle. However, the Cuban’s tempo was nearly halted as she smashed through the final barrier and Bidouane seemed to make-up the difference but on the line Pernia had recovered enough to take the win by 1/100th of a second.
Bidouane’s reward was an African record of 52.90 and the silver medal ahead of Hemmings. Yet the finish had been so close that immediately after crossing the line she still believed she had won and mistakenly began a lap of honour. Of course had the result been as she believed she would now be retiring as a triple World champion in an event in which she remains the only athlete to have won more than one World title.
However, Bidouane had no regrets, and confirmed on Saturday evening, “I have a peaceful conscience (regarding my decision to retire). All beautiful stories have an end, and at the hour that they come to the end of their path they are embellished by one’s grand achievements.”