Bert Rosenthal(AP)
2 May 2000 - New York - Moroccan-born Khalid Khannouchi was sworn in as a U.S. citizen in
Houston on Tuesday, making the owner of the world Best Performance in the marathon
eligible to compete in Sunday's U.S. Olympic marathon trials.
Khannouchi was to discuss his plans Wednesday at a news conference in New York. He could
decide to run in this weekend's marathon at Pittsburgh or wait until July and compete in
the 10,000 meters in the U.S. Olympic athletics trials at Sacramento, California.
``I'm extremely happy that that my quest for U.S. citizenship has been successful,''
Khannouchi said. ``I look forward to competing in national and international championship
events as an American citizen.''
Citizenship has been Khannouchi's goal since he left Morocco in 1993 and came to the
United States. He settled in New York and three years later, he married Sandra Inoa, a
runner he had met at a 5-kilometer race in Hartford, Connecticut.
``Running for the United States means a lot to me,'' he said last year. ``I've got
everything in the United States. I want to give something back. The United States is
something special. America is a wonderful country.
``I love my country, but I decided not to run for Morocco.''
Khannouchi qualified for citizenship under a law that enables spouses of U.S. citizens
working abroad for an American company to achieve citizenship regardless of the three-year
residency requirement. Last month, his wife accepted a job overseas with a U.S. firm.
Khannouchi participated in an oath ceremony Tuesday after completing a citizenship
interview with an officer from the U.S.Department of Immigration and Naturalization
Services and passing a test on American history.
Khannouchi, 28, first applied for permanent residency more than three years ago.
``Just when Sandra and I were about to give up hope of my attaining citizenship in time
for the U.S. Olympic marathon trials, Tim Murphy of Elite Racing offered Sandra a job in
Madrid as an assistant elite coordinator and race promoter,'' he said. ``It was amazing
that the events unfolded as quickly as they did.
``At the same time, my legal team was working with the INS to help me attain citizenship
in time for the (U.S.) Olympic marathon trials, several individuals were working behind
the scenes cutting through the red tape to enable my participation in the men's Olympic
marathon trials.''
If Khannouchi runs the marathon at Pittsburgh and qualifies for the U.S. team at Sydney,
it would mean that he would run four marathon s within a calendar year. In the past, he
never has run more than one.
Last October, he set the world record of 2 hours, 5 minutes, 42 seconds in the Chicago
Marathon. He then ran the London Marathon on April 16 and finished third at 2:08:36, but
he came out of the race slightly injured, with hamstring problems.
He has been under the care of his trainer, Gerard Hartmann, in Ireland. He arrived in
Houston on Monday.
