Belgium’s ‘Hall of Fame’ recognition for track legends

Moroccan middle distance star Hicham El Guerrouj (left) and Slovenia's Jamaica-born sprints legend Merlene Ottey (right) at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Brussels after they were inducted into the Hall of Fame by organisers of the Memorian Van Damme IAAF Diamond League meeting on August 30, 2018. At centre is the director of the Memorian Van Damme meeting Wilfried Meert. PHOTO | GOLAZO SPORT |

What you need to know:

  • Guerrouj won four times at the Brussels meeting including the second-fastest 1,500m of all time (3:26.12).
  • He holds seven of the top 10 best times over the distance and says he was inspired to perform well in Brussels to set an example to his Moroccan countrymen.

IN BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

Track legends Hicham El Guerrouj and Marlene Ottey had their moment of glory in retirement on Thursday night when they were inducted into the Hall of Fame by organizers of Brussels’ season-ending Memorial Van Damme Diamond League track and field meeting here.

The Moroccan and Slovenian rolled back the years, recalling their amazing track careers hitherto unmatched for speed and longevity.

El Guerrouj, now 43, the best miler of all time, still holds the world record in the 1,500 metres at three minutes and 26 seconds, which he set 20 years ago in Rome, and also in the mile at 3:43.13, again set in Rome 19 years ago.

His 2,000m record (4:44.79) still stands from 1999 (Berlin).

Jamaica-born Ottey, 58, holds the world indoor 200m record (21.87 seconds) from 1993 and won three gold medals each at the Commonwealth Games, world indoor and world outdoor championships.

She will be remembered for her longevity in the sport in a career that saw her win bronze in the 200m at the 1980 Moscow Olympics and conclude her career anchoring her adopted Slovenian team in the 4x100 metres at the 2012 European Championships, then aged 52.

Moroccan middle distance star Hicham El Guerrouj (left) and Slovenia's Jamaica-born sprints legend Merlene Ottey at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Brussels after they were inducted into the Hall of Fame by organisers of the Memorian Van Damme IAAF Diamond League meeting on August 30, 2018. PHOTO | GOLAZO SPORT |

“I came to Brussels in the 1980s, did a lot of fashion shoots here and I also ran my personal best time in the 200 metres of 21.64 (still the fourth fastest all-time) here and so I have great memories of Brussels,” Ottey, who lives in Switzerland, said after receiving he award from “the spiritual father” of the Memorial Van Damme meeting, Wilfried Meert, at the Crown Plaza Hotel in downtown Brussels at a special induction dinner.

“I’m happy to have inspired a lot of people and I always wanted to do the best for all of you.”

Guerrouj won four times at the Brussels meeting including the second-fastest 1,500m of all time (3:26.12).

He holds seven of the top 10 best times over the distance and says he was inspired to perform well in Brussels to set an example to his Moroccan countrymen.

“There’s a huge population of Moroccans in Belgium and each time I ran in Brussels, I wanted to show them that Moroccans can be the best in what they do,” he said in his acceptance speech at Thursday’s ceremony that saw two Belgium runners – sprinter Kim Gevaert and high jumper Tia Hellebaut – also honoured into the Hall of Fame.

German sprints legend Heike Drechsler and British middle distance star Steve Cram, now a famous track and field television commentator, were the first athletes to be inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Memorial Van Damme organizers.

While Guerrouj has clearly put on some weight, Ottey is pretty much as lean as an active athlete although she decided to fade away from the sport to enjoy her twilight years away from the media glare.

“I don’t do coaching and I don’t do anything in the sport any more,” she told Nation Sport.

“I’ve been on the track for over 30 years and it got to a time I decided to do something completely different with the rest of my life,” she explained.

The awards dinner was the highlight of the pre-competition activities ahead of Friday night’s final meeting of the Diamond League season after which some of the weary athletes will proceed to represent their continents at the September 8 and 9 IAAF Continental Cup in Ostrava with others earning a well-deserved rest before they launch their preparations for next year’s IAAF World Championships in Doha.