Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad

About Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad

Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad is a French middle-distance runner of Algerian origin who mainly competes in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He has won medals in major international competitions such as the Olympic Games, World Championships, European Championships and European Indoor Championships.

Career Success:

• Mekhissi-Benabbad won the 3000 metres 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 metres steeplechase competition.
  
• Mekhissi-Benabbad made significant progress in 2008, knocking seconds off his personal best at the 2008 Olympics to win the Olympic 3000 metres 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 metres steeplechase event. 
  
• Mekhissi-Benabbad won his second consecutive 3000 metres steeplechase Olympic silver medal at the 2012 Olympics in London. In the final, with 200 metres in the race remaining, Ezekiel Kemboi was in the lead, followed by Abel Kiprop Mutai in second place, Roba Gari in third place and Mekhissi-Benabbad in fourth place. Mekhissi-Benabbad then swept past both Gari and Mutai to finish second behind Kemboi. "I want to congratulate Ezekiel Kemboi because he won and it is not by chance because he won in 2004. ... He is stronger than me, but I do hope one day I can beat him," Mekhissi-Benabbad said right after the race.
  

Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad Achievements

Olympic Games

• Silver medal – second place2008 Beijing3000 m st.
  
• Silver medal – second place2012 London3000 m st.
  

World Championships

• Bronze medal – third place2011 Daegu3000 m st.
  
• Bronze medal – third place2013 Moscow3000 m st.
  

European Championships

• Gold medal – first place2010 Barcelona3000 m st.
  
• Gold medal – first place2012 Helsinki3000 m st.
  
• Gold medal – first place2014 Zürich1500 m
  

European Indoor Championships

• Gold medal – first place2013 Gothenburg1500 m
  

Continental Cup

• Bronze medal – third place2010 Split3000 m st.