Hicham El Guerrouj

Hicham El Guerrouj is a retired Moroccan middle-distance runner born on 14 September 1974 in Berkane. Widely regarded as the greatest middle-distance runner in history, he is the current world record holder in both the 1500 metres and the mile, and is a former world record holder in the 2000 metres. He is the only man since Paavo Nurmi to win gold medals in both the 1500 metres and 5000 metres at the same Olympic Games.

El Guerrouj won the 1500 metres gold medal at four consecutive World Athletics Championships in 1997, 1999, 2001, and 2003. He still holds six of the ten fastest times ever run in the 1500 metres and seven of the fifteen fastest mile times. He is the only man to have broken 3:27 in the 1500 metres more than once, achieving the feat five times throughout his career.

El Guerrouj won the World Athlete of the Year award three times and was inducted into the IAAF Hall of Fame in November 2014, solidifying his place as one of the most dominant figures in the history of track and field.