Souad Aït Salem

Souad Aït Salem, also known as Souad Aït Mahour-Bacha (born 6 January 1979 in Mécheria, Algeria) is an Algerian long-distance runner who specializes mainly in the half marathon and marathon. She won gold in the 10,000 metres at the 2000 African Championships in Athletics and the 2005 Mediterranean Games.[1] Salem also won the gold in the half marathon at the 2007 All-Africa Games. She holds the Algerian records for every women's event between 3000 metres and the marathon distance.

Souad Aït Salem
Souad Aït Salem in 2015
Personal information
Born (1979-01-06) 6 January 1979
Mécheria, Algeria
Height1.67 m (5 ft 5+1⁄2 in)
Weight50 kg (110 lb)
Sport
Country Algeria
SportAthletics
Event(s)Marathon
Medal record
Mediterranean Games
Gold medal – first place2005 Almería10,000 metres
Silver medal – second place2013 MersinHalf marathon
Bronze medal – third place2013 Mersin10,000 metres
All-Africa Games
Gold medal – first place2007 AlgiersHalf marathon

Her first appearance on the world stage was in the junior race at the 1997 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, where she finished in 98th place. Salem reached the top fifty at the 2000 and 2003 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships. She ran in the 5000 metres at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics and the 2004 Summer Olympics but did not progress beyond her heat in either competition.

After winning the Universiade cross country competition, Salem switched to the marathon distance in 2006 and the move paid off: she won the 2006 Alexander The Great Marathon in Thessaloniki. She won the women's race at the 13th Rome Marathon on 18 March 2007. Her time was 2:25:08 hrs was a new course record.[2] She finished 9th in the women's marathon at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, with a time of 2:28:29 hrs.[3] At the 2007 World Championships in Athletics, she finished 16th in the marathon race. She finished sixth at the London Marathon in 2008 and went on to finish in ninth place in the women's marathon race at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

After a long break from competition, she ran her first marathon in almost four years at the Prague Marathon. She finished in fourth place with a time of 2:27:21 hours.[4] She raced in the marathon at the 2012 Summer Olympics, finishing in 37th place.[5]

In 2017 she tested positive for Torasemide and was banned from competition for 18 months between 11 March 2017 and 8 October 2018.[6]

Personal bests

Achievements
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
Representing  Algeria
2000 African Championships Algiers, Algeria 1st 10,000 m
2002 African Championships Radès, Tunisia 5th 10,000 m
2003 World Championships Paris, France 24th (h) 5000 m 15:34.64
2004 Pan Arab Games Algiers, Algeria 1st 5000 m
1st 10,000 m
1st Half marathon
Olympic Games Athens, Greece 33rd (h) 5000 m 16:02.10
– 10,000 m DNF
2005 Mediterranean Games Almería, Spain 4th 5000 m 15:31.34
1st 10,000 m 32:55.48
2006 World Road Running Championships Debrecen, Hungary 9th 20 km 1:06:11 PB
2007 All-Africa Games Algiers, Algeria 1st Half Marathon 1:13:35
Rome City Marathon Rome, Italy 1st Marathon 2:25:08 NR
World Championships Osaka, Japan 16th Marathon 2:35:09
2008 Olympic Games Beijing, China 9th Marathon 2:28:29
2011 Pan Arab Games Doha, Qatar 4th Half marathon 1:15:13
2013 Mediterranean Games Mersin, Turkey 3rd 10,000 m 33:19:34
2015 World Championships Beijing, China — Marathon DNF
2022 Mediterranean Games Oran, Algeria 9th 5000 m 16:21.60
2023 Arab Games Oran, Algeria – 10,000 m DNF

References
  1. Mediterranean Games. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 1 April 2010.
  2. Algeria's Souad Ait Salem wins Rome Marathon, Algeria News & Events, Tuesday, 20 March 2007, internet posting.
  3. Athletics Women's Marathon Detailed Results, http://www.results.beijing2008.cn, Sunday, 17 August 2008, internet posting
  4. Edwards, Andy (13 May 2012). Kiprop dashes Cheromei’s hopes while Chimsa lives up to expectations in Prague. IAAF. Retrieved on 15 May 2012.
  5. "London 2012 - Women's Marathon". www.olympic.org. IOC. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  6. "List of athletes currently serving a period of ineligibility as a result of an anti-doping rule violation under IAAF rules". IAAF. 1 January 2018. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
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