Ghada Shouaa

Last updated • 4 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Ghada Shouaa
Personal information
NationalitySyrian
Born (1972-09-10) September 10, 1972 (age 52)
Mhardeh, Hama Governorate, Syria
Height1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight63 kg (139 lb)
Sport
CountryFlag of Syria.svg  Syria
Sport Athletics
Event(s) Heptathlon, Long jump
ClubAl-Thawra SC, Jalaa SC
Turned pro1991 [1]
Coached byImad Sarraj [1]
Retired2001 [1]
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals 1996 – 1st
World finals 1995 – 1st
1999 – 3rd
Highest world rankingHeptathlon: 1 (1995, 1996)
Personal best
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing Flag of Syria.svg  Syria
Olympic Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1996 Atlanta Heptathlon
World Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1995 Gothenburg Heptathlon
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1999 Seville Heptathlon
Goodwill Games
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1994 Saint Petersburg Heptathlon
Asian Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1994 Hiroshima Heptathlon
Asian Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1993 Manila Heptathlon
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1991 Kuala Lumpur Heptathlon
Mediterranean Games
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1993 Narbonne Heptathlon

Ghada Shouaa (Arabic : غادة شعاع; born September 10, 1972) is a retired Syrian heptathlete. At the 1996 Summer Olympics, she won her country's first and only Olympic gold medal. [2] She was also a World and Asian heptathlon champion. She is considered one of the best Asian and Arab female athletes of all time. [1] She was a Syrian flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. [3]

Contents

She has represented Syria in her two strongest multi-event disciplines, the individual high jump and long jump events. She holds the Syrian high jump records with 1.87 m outdoors (1996), in javelin with 54.82 m (1999) in 200 m with 23.78 (1996), in long jump with 6.77 (1996) and in shot put with 16.25 (1999). [4]

Shouaa's heptathlon results include finishing 25th at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, 24th at the 1991 World Championships, third at the 1999 World Athletics Championships and first at the 1994 Asian Games. She is also multiple gold medalist at the Arab Athletics Championships. With a performance of 6942 points at the Hypo-Meeting, which moved her into the world all-time Top 25 and she went down in history as the best Asian and Arab heptathlete. [5]

Shouaa's career coincided with those of older compatriot, three-time Olympic champion and four-time World champion legend Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Olympic champion Denise Lewis. [1]

Early life

Shouaa was born to a Greek Orthodox Christian family in the small Syrian city of Mhardeh in the Hama Governorate. [6] Growing up in rural Syria, Ghada Shouaa first realised her sporting potential at the age of 12 when she managed to catch a rabbit that had escaped from the hands of an old man in her village. She was soon harnessing her natural speed, competing in cross-country races. [4] However, it was in basketball that she made her initial foray into the world of elite sport. She played for the Syrian national team for a few years, but then decided to compete in athletics. [1]

Career

In 1991, Shouaa took part in a competitive heptathlon in Aleppo for the first time and set a new Syrian national record with a points tally of 4,010. [4] She was immediately sent to the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo, where she placed last. [6] She concluded her first athletics season with a silver medal in the 1991 Asian Athletics Championships. [4]

Shouaa debuted at the Olympics in the 1992 Barcelona Games, placing 25th in spite of an injury. Her breakthrough did not come until 1995, when she won the important heptathlon meet in Götzis, scoring 6715 points. This boosted her to one of the favourites for the title at the 1995 World Athletics Championships, held in Gothenburg. After co-favorite Sabine Braun dropped out with an injury, Shouaa won the title with a comfortable margin. [6]

The following season, Shouaa again won the 1996 Hypo-Meeting, bringing the still-standing Asian record to 6942 points. In Atlanta, three months later, she confirmed her status as the best heptathlete at the time, winning Syria's first Olympic gold medal. [6]

A serious injury ruined the following season, and she was unable to make a serious comeback until 1999, when she placed third at the World Championships behind Eunice Barber. [6] Shouaa attempted to defend her Olympic title in Sydney, but she again became injured and did not even finish the first event. [6] After this disappointment, she decided to retire from athletics. After 2001, she was declared the best Syrian athlete of the 20th century.

Civil War in Syria

During a visit to Syria in 2013 or 2014 in the midst of civil war, Shouaa appeared in a picture with a heavy machine gun while accompanying the National Defence Forces, a branch of the Syrian Army. [7] In a speech, Shouaa greeted the Syrian Arab Army, saying the army's motto 'Homeland, Honor, Honesty' represents "each and every honest Syrian from which he/she draws the ability for steadfastness and making achievements for Syria's sake". [8] She now lives in Germany. [9]

Personal bests

Competition record

YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
Representing Flag of Syria.svg  Syria
1991 World Championships Tokyo, Japan 24thHeptathlon 5066 pts
Asian Championships Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2ndHeptathlon5425 pts
Arab Championships Latakia, Syria 1stHigh jump1.60 m
1stLong jump5.50 m
1stJavelin throw41.92 m
1992 Olympic Games Barcelona, Spain 25thHeptathlon 5278 pts
1993 Mediterranean Games Narbonne, France 8thLong jump 6.13 m
2ndHeptathlon 6168 pts
World Championships Stuttgart, Germany Heptathlon DNF
Arab Championships Latakia, Syria 1st800 m2:14.7
1st100 m hurdles14.44 s
1stHigh jump1.75 m
1stLong jump6.07 m
1stJavelin throw50.54 m
Asian Championships Manila, Philippines 1stHeptathlon6259 pts
1994 Goodwill Games St. Petersburg, Russia 3rdHeptathlon 6361 pts
Asian Games Hiroshima, Japan 1stHeptathlon6360 pts
1995 Hypo-Meeting Gotzis, Austria1stHeptathlon6715 pts
World Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 1stHeptathlon 6651 pts
Arab Championships Cairo, Egypt 1stHigh jump1.80 m
1stLong jump6.64 m
1stJavelin throw53.72 m
1996 Hypo-Meeting Gotzis, Austria1stHeptathlon6942 pts
Olympic Games Atlanta, United States 1stHeptathlon 6780 pts
1999 Pan Arab Games Amman, Jordan 1stHigh jump1.78 m
2ndLong jump6.19 m
2ndShot put16.25 m
1stJavelin throw55.14 m
World Championships Seville, Spain 3rdHeptathlon 6500 pts
2000 Olympic Games Sydney, Australia Heptathlon DNF

Honours

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carolina Klüft</span> Swedish heptathlete and long jumper (born 1983)

Carolina Evelyn Klüft is a retired Swedish track and field athlete who competed in the heptathlon, pentathlon, long jump and triple jump. She was an Olympic Champion, having won the heptathlon title in 2004. She was also a three-time World heptathlon champion, World Indoor pentathlon champion, a two-time European heptathlon champion and a two-time European Indoor pentathlon champion. Klüft is the only athlete ever to win three consecutive world titles in the heptathlon. She was unbeaten in 22 heptathlon and pentathlon competitions from 2002 to 2007, her entire combined events career as a senior athlete, winning nine consecutive gold medals in major championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelly Sotherton</span> British heptathlete (born 1976)

Kelly Jade Sotherton is a British former heptathlete, long jumper and relay runner. In the heptathlon she was the bronze medallist at the 2004 Summer Olympics and, following the disqualification of two other athletes, also at the 2008 Summer Olympics, as well as being part of the bronze medal-winning team in the Women's 4x400m relay at the 2008 Summer Olympics. As such she is one of only five women to win multiple medals in Olympic heptathlon. She also won a bronze at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics. Representing England, Sotherton is a one-time Commonwealth Games champion, as the heptathlon gold medallist at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eunice Barber</span> Sierra Leonean-French athletics competitor

Eunice Claudia Barber is a Sierra Leonean-French athlete competing in heptathlon and long jump. Barber initially competed for Sierra Leone and then for France from 1999 onwards. She won the heptathlon at the World Athletics Championships in 1999, the long jump in 2003 and finished second in heptathlon in 2003 and 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessica Ennis-Hill</span> British former track and field athlete (born 1986)

Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill is a British retired athlete, specialising in the heptathlon and 100 metres hurdles. As a competitor in heptathlon, she is the 2012 Olympic champion, a three-time world champion, and the 2010 European champion. She is also the 2010 World Indoor pentathlon champion. A member of the City of Sheffield & Dearne athletic club, she is a former British national record holder for the heptathlon. She is also a former British record holder in the 100 metres hurdles, the high jump and the indoor pentathlon.

Margaret Simpson is a Ghanaian heptathlete. She won a bronze medal at the 2005 World Championships, setting several personal bests in the process. Her personal best is 6423 points, achieved in Götzis in May 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nataliya Dobrynska</span> Ukrainian heptathlete (born 1982)

Nataliya Dobrynska is a retired Ukrainian athlete who competed in the combined events. She is the 2008 Beijing Olympic champion and also holds the heptathlon best in the shot put. Dobrynska was the world indoor record holder for the pentathlon with a score of 5013 points until March 2023.

Shelia Burrell is a retired American heptathlete. She was a two-time representative of the United States at the Summer Olympics, competing in 2000 and 2004. Her best Olympic finish was fourth place. She also competed twice at the World Championships in Athletics, which included a bronze medal in 2001. She was also a two-time silver medalist at the 1999 Pan American Games. Her personal best for the heptathlon 6472 points and she was American national champion on four occasions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olga Rypakova</span> Kazakhstani athlete (born 1984)

Olga RypakovaAlekseyeva; 30 November 1984) is a former Kazakhstani track and field athlete. Originally a heptathlete, she switched to focus on the long jump and began to compete in the triple jump after 2007. Her first successes came in the combined events at Asian competitions – she won the women's pentathlon at the 2005 Asian Indoor Games and took the heptathlon gold at the 2006 Asian Games the following year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syria at the Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Syria first participated at the Olympic Games in 1948. Syrian diver Zouheir Shourbagi, the sole competitor, placed 10th in the men's platform. Syria then missed the next four Olympiads. Syria returned to the Games in 1968, and has sent athletes to compete in all but one Summer Olympic Games, missing the 1976 Games. Syria has never participated in the Winter Olympic Games.

Anne Brit Sandberg, née Skjæveland is a retired Norwegian heptathlete.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brianne Theisen-Eaton</span> Canadian athlete

Brianne Theisen-Eaton is a retired Canadian track and field athlete who competed in the heptathlon and women's pentathlon. She won the bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Theisen-Eaton holds the Canadian record for the heptathlon with 6,808 points, as well as the indoor pentathlon with a score of 4768 points. Theisen-Eaton is a heptathlon silver medallist from the 2013 World Championships and 2015 World Championships, as well as a pentathlon silver medalist from the 2014 World Indoor Championships. She is the first and only Canadian woman to podium in the multi-events at the World Championships. Theisen-Eaton won Commonwealth Games gold in the heptathlon at Glasgow 2014 and was the 2016 World Indoor Champion in the pentathlon. She also won a bronze medal as part of the women's 4 x 400 m relay at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dafne Schippers</span> Dutch track and field athlete

Dafne Schippers is a Dutch retired track and field athlete who competed in sprinting and the combined events. She holds the European record in the 200 metres with a time of 21.63 seconds, making her the sixth-fastest woman of all time at this distance. She also holds the Dutch records in the 100 metres and long jump, and shares the Dutch records in the 60 metres indoor and 4 × 100 metres relay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katarina Johnson-Thompson</span> English heptathlete (born 1993)

Katarina Mary Johnson-Thompson is an English athlete. A multi-eventer, she is primarily known as both a heptathlete and an indoor pentathlete. In heptathlon she is a double world champion, double Commonwealth Games champion and an Olympic silver medallist. In indoor pentathlon, she is a world and double European champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nadine Broersen</span> Dutch track and field athlete

Nadine Broersen is a Dutch track and field athlete, specializing in the heptathlon and high jump. She was the 2014 World Indoor pentathlon champion. Broersen competes for the track and field club AV Sprint in Breda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nafissatou Thiam</span> Belgian athlete (born 1994)

Nafissatou "Nafi" Thiam is a Belgian athlete specialising in multi-event competition. She is the first athlete with three multi-event gold medals at the Olympic Games, winning the heptathlon at the 2016 Rio, 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics. Her three individual Olympic golds in a row for a woman equals the record of Anita Wlodarczyk of Poland in the hammer and Faith Kipyegon in the 1500 metres Thiam is also the only Belgian athlete to successfully defend an Olympic title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morgan Lake</span> British athlete

Morgan Lake is a British high jumper. She won the silver medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and placed fourth at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Lake finished sixth in the 2017 World Championships in Athletics and fourth in the 2018 World Indoor Championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nadine Visser</span> Dutch track and field athlete

Nadine Visser is a Dutch track and field athlete who competed in the combined events until 2017 and specialises in short hurdling since 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anouk Vetter</span> Dutch track and field athlete

Anouk Vetter is a Dutch track and field athlete who competes in the combined events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holly Mills</span> British long jumper

Holly Mills is an English long jumper and heptathlete. She finished fourth both in the pentathlon at the 2022 World Indoor Championships and in the heptathlon at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Mills won bronze medals for the heptathlon at the 2021 European Under-23 Championships and for the long jump at the 2019 European U20 Championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Hall (heptathlete)</span> American athlete (born 2001)

Anna Hall is an American athlete specializing in the combined events. She won the silver medal in the heptathlon at the 2023 World Championships and the bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships. Hall is the North American indoor record holder for the pentathlon.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Christel Saneh (15 September 2021). "Ghada Shouaa: The only Olympic gold medallist for Syria". World Athletics . Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  2. "Ghada Shouaa". Olympics.com. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  3. Syria. Olympics at Sport-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Accessed 25 October 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Biography of Ghada Shouaa". olympics.com. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  5. "Götzis records and winners of all-times". www.decathlon2000.com. 2010-12-02. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Ghada Shouaa". Damascus-Online.com. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-06-22.
  7. "بعد أن "طفشها" نظام الأسد... غادة شعاع تتحول من بطلة أولمبية إلى "رامية دوشكا" في الدفاع الوطني (صور) | عكس السير دوت كوم". www.aksalser.com.
  8. "Olympic champion Shouaa: I returned home to work for a brighter future for #Syria". Syrian Arab News Agency SANA – Facebook. 16 August 2013. Archived from the original on 2022-02-26.
  9. "Syrian sports heroine laments her country's ill treatment". Arab News. 30 August 2009. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
Sporting positions
Preceded by Women's Heptathlon Best Year Performance
19951996
Succeeded by
Olympic Games
Preceded by Flagbearer for Flag of Syria.svg  Syria
Atlanta 1996
Succeeded by