Abdelwahab Ferguène

Ferguène followed in the footsteps of his compatriot Benamar Kachkouche (the first African race walk champion) to lead the continent and the Arab world in the race walk during the 1980s. He took runner-up spots behind Kachkouche at the 1981 Arab Athletics Championships and at the Maghreb Athletics Championships in 1981 and 1983.[3][4]

Following appearances at the World Championships in 1983 and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics,[1][2] he rose to the peak of his region with a win at the 1984 African Championships in Athletics, edging his compatriot Kachkouche by such a narrow margin that they received the same time. This marked the start of his most successful period, as he won four further major titles after this. He retained his title at the 1985 African Championships, besting Shemsu Hassan by nearly nine minutes,[5] and set a games record of 1:32:31 hours to win the 1985 Pan Arab Games that same year.[6] In 1986 he topped the podium at the Maghreb Championships, beating runner-up Mohamed Haddadou by over fifteen minutes.[3] He achieved a championship record of 1:30:39 hours en route to winning the 1987 Arab Athletics Championships.[7]

At the 1987 World Championships in Athletics he placed 35th – the only African in the race.[2] He and Mohamed Bouhalla formed the African contingent at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Ferguène finished ahead of his countryman and gave his best championship performance with a time of 1:26:33 hours for 32nd place.[1] The younger Bouhalla was fast improving, however, and Ferguène ended up silver medallist behind him at both the 1988 and 1989 African Championships in Athletics. Ethiopia's Shemsu Hassan dipped under an hour and a half to leave Ferguène as runner-up at the 1990 African Championships in Athletics and the 1991 All-Africa Games.[5][8]

His last title came at the 1992 Pan Arab Games.[6] He also set a career best that year, with 1:22:51 hours at a race in Hildesheim, Germany.[9] After seventh at the 1991 Mediterranean Games, he made his final high-profile appearance for Algeria at the 1993 World Championships in Athletics, coming in a career high of 34th and two places behind Hatem Ghoula, who would later become Africa's first world medallist in the sport.[2]

Ferguène won at least six national titles in racewalking during his career.[10] He remains the African record holder for the 50,000 m track walk,[11] as well as the Algerian record holder in the 20 km road walk, 5000 m track walk and 30,000 m track walk disciplines.[12]

He and Samia Djemaa (a javelin thrower for Algeria)[13] had a daughter, Amina Ferguène, who herself took up athletics and represented Algeria in the hurdles.[14]

• Algerian Athletics Championships
  • 10,000 m walk: 1992, 1993
  • 20 km walk: 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990

• List of champions of the African Championships in Athletics

• Abdelwahab Ferguène at World Athletics