Yousef Masrahi

Yousef Ahmed Masrahi (Arabic:يوسف مسرحي) (born 31 December 1987, in Najran)[2] is a Saudi Arabian track and field athlete, who specialises in the 400 metres sprint. His personal best time for the event is 43.93 seconds, set in 2015, and is the Asian record.

Yousef Masrahi
Masrahi at the 2015 World Championships
Personal information
Born (1987-12-31) December 31, 1987
Najran, Saudi Arabia
Weight74 kg (163 lb)
Sport
Country Saudi Arabia
SportAthletics
Event(s)400 m
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Saudi Arabia
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 2010 Guangzhou 4×400 m relay
Gold medal – first place2014 Incheon 400 m [1]
Gold medal – first place2022 Hangzhou 400 m
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Guangzhou 400 m
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Incheon 4×400 m relay
Asian Indoor Games
Gold medal – first place 2007 Macau 4x400 m relay
Gold medal – first place 2009 Hanoi 4x400 m relay
Silver medal – second place 2009 Hanoi 400 m
Asian Championships
Gold medal – first place 2011 Kobe 400 m
Gold medal – first place 2013 Pune 400 m
Gold medal – first place 2013 Pune 4x400 m relay
Silver medal – second place 2011 Kobe 4x400 m relay
Silver medal – second place 2015 Wuhan 400 m
Silver medal – second place 2015 Wuhan 4x400 m relay
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Bangkok 400 m
Military World Games
Gold medal – first place 2015 Mungyeong 400 m
Islamic Solidarity Games
Gold medal – first place 2013 Palembang 400 m
Gold medal – first place 2013 Palembang 4x400 m relay
Silver medal – second place 2021 Konya 400 m
Pan Arab Games
Gold medal – first place 2011 Doha 400 m
Gold medal – first place 2011 Doha 4x400 m relay
Arab Championships
Gold medal – first place 2009 Damascus 4x400 m relay
Gold medal – first place 2013 Doha 400 m
Gold medal – first place 2013 Doha 4x400 m relay
Silver medal – second place 2023 Marrakesh 400 m
Bronze medal – third place 2009 Damascus 400 m
GCC Games
Gold medal – first place 2015 Dammam 400 m
Gold medal – first place 2015 Dammam 4x400 m relay
Silver medal – second place 2022 Kuwait4x400 m relay
GCC Championships
Gold medal – first place 2009 Qatif 400 m
Representing Asia/Pacific
Continental Cup
Bronze medal – third place2014 Marrakech400 m

Masrahi represented his country at the 2012 London Olympics and is a three-time participant at the World Championships in Athletics (2009, 2013, 2015). He was the gold medallist at both the Asian Athletics Championships in 2011 and at the 2014 Asian Games. He was banned for doping in 2016 for four years.

Career

His first international outing came in middle-distance events at the 2007 Asian Indoor Games. He failed to finish in the 800 metres, but set a national indoor record of 4:11.28 minutes in the 1500 metres heats. He won his first medal at the competition in the 4×400 metres relay, taking the gold alongside Hamdan Al-Bishi, Ali Al-Deraan and Hamed Al-Bishi. In the 2008 season he was based in California and began to run in the 200 metres and 400 metres instead, setting best times of 21.80 and 46.45 seconds in the events.[3]

Masrahi won the national title over 200 m in 2009 and improved his 400 m best to 45.84 seconds in Riyadh, gaining the "B" qualifying standard. He represented Saudi Arabia at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, but was knocked out in the 400 m heats. He was the bronze medalist in the distance at the Arab Athletics Championships and also won the relay title with Saudi Arabia.[3] At the 2009 Asian Indoor Games in November Masrahi was just beaten to the 400 m title by Ismail Al-Sabiani, another Saudi runner, but the pair teamed up in the relay to set a Games record and national record time of 3:10.31 minutes.[4]

The 2010 Asian Games was his focus for the next season and he gained selection after winning a 200/400 m double at the national championships.[3] He ran personal best of 45.48 seconds in the heats of the 400 m at the Asian Games, but was little slower in the final and took the bronze medal. With the relay team he anchored the men home to a Saudi national record of 3:02.30 minutes, running with Al-Sabiani, Mohammed Al-Salhi and Al-Bishi to win the Asian Games title.[5][6] The next year, he won the 400 m gold medal at the 2011 Asian Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan, and also won a silver medal in the relay.[7] In 2014, he won the gold medal for the men's 400m in 44.6 sec.[8]

He set his personal best, the Asian record during the qualifying heats of the 2015 World Championships, finishing barely ahead of Rusheen McDonald who was credited with the same time, 43.93 which at the time ranked both men in the top dozen in history. With two more rounds to run, McDonald was unable to qualify for the final, while Masrahi did, but his remarkable speed was not present in that final where even his personal best would only have been good enough for fourth place.

He was banned from competition for four years, starting 15 June 2016, prior to the 2016 Rio Olympics due to a failed drug test.[9]

References
  1. www.incheon2014ag.org/Sports/Medals/MenuMedallists
  2. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Yousef Masrahi". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2020-04-18. Retrieved 2015-06-29.
  3. Youssef Al-Masrahi. Tilastopaja. Retrieved on 2011-07-10.
  4. Krishnan, Ram. Murali (2009-11-01). Kwalia’s 3000m victory the highlight on Day two in Hanoi – Asian Indoor Games. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-07-10.
  5. Three more gold for China, as Kamel bows out of 1500m in Guangzhou – Asian Games, Day 2. IAAF (2010-11-23). Retrieved on 2011-07-10.
  6. MASRAHI Yousef Ahmed M. gz2010. Retrieved on 2011-07-10.
  7. Su Bingtian takes Asian 100m title in Kobe – Asian champs, Day 2. IAAF (2011-07-09). Retrieved on 2011-07-10.
  8. "Ogunode sets record in 100m win".
  9. Saudi sprinter Masrahi to miss Olympics because of doping. AP/Washington Post (2016-07-30). Retrieved on 2016-08-07.
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