Mourad Mahour Ahmed Bacha (born 16 June 1961) is an Algerian former track and field athlete who competed in the decathlon and javelin throw. [1] Bacha was among the foremost African and Arab decathletes in the 1980s and early 1990s.
He won 23 national titles in his career across decathlon and various field events, including nine javelin titles. [2] He was a five-time African champion – four times in decathlon and once in javelin. [3] He was also twice the decathlon gold medallist at the All-Africa Games, winning in 1987 and 1991. [4] He won three straight decathlon titles at the Arab Athletics Championships from 1981 to 1987 and was a double gold medallist at the 1985 Pan Arab Games, topping both the decathlon and javelin podiums. [5]
Bacha made one appearance at the global level, at the 1983 World Championships in Athletics. He failed to record a valid mark in the shot put event and opted not to finish the competition. [6]
He set a lifetime best of 7934 points for the decathlon on 9 July 1985 in Algiers. His javelin throw best with the new model was 70.20 m (230 ft 3+3⁄4 in), which brought him a silver medal at the 1986 Maghreb Athletics Championships and remains the Algerian record for the event. [1] [7]
Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1981 | Arab Championships | Tunis, Tunisia | 1st | Decathlon | 7495 pts |
1983 | Arab Championships | Amman, Jordan | 1st | Decathlon | 6893 pts |
Maghreb Championships | Casablanca, Morocco | 3rd | Decathlon | 6708 pts | |
World Championships | Helsinki, Finland | — | Decathlon | DNF | |
1984 | African Championships | Rabat, Morocco | 3rd | Javelin throw | 71.86 m |
1st | Decathlon | 7022 pts | |||
1985 | African Championships | Cairo, Egypt | 2nd | Pole vault | 4.50 m |
1st | Decathlon | 6712 pts | |||
1st | Javelin throw | 80.04 m | |||
Pan Arab Games | Casablanca, Morocco | 1st | Decathlon | 7577 pts | |
1st | Javelin throw | 76.88 m | |||
1986 | Maghreb Championships | Tunis, Tunisia | 3rd | Shot put | 14.06 m |
2nd | Javelin throw | 70.20 m | |||
1987 | Arab Championships | Algiers, Algeria | 1st | Decathlon | 7372 pts |
All-Africa Games | Nairobi, Kenya | 1st | Decathlon | 7104 pts | |
1988 | African Championships | Annaba, Algeria | 2nd | Decathlon | 7128 pts |
1990 | Maghreb Championships | Algiers, Algeria | 2nd | Decathlon | 7026 pts |
African Championships | Cairo, Egypt | 3rd | Decathlon | 6802 pts | |
1991 | All-Africa Games | Cairo, Egypt | 1st | Decathlon | 7431 pts |
1992 | African Championships | Belle Vue Mauricia, Mauritius | 1st | Decathlon | 7467 pts |
Pedro Ferreira da Silva Filho is a former decathlete from Brazil. He won the gold medal in the men's decathlon event at the 1991 Pan American Games in Havana, Cuba, and competed for his native country at the 1992 Summer Olympics.
Ahmad Hassan Moussa is a Qatari decathlete. He represented his country at the 2004 Summer Olympics and is a two time Asian Champion in the event.
The athletics competition at the 1980 Islamic Games was held at the İzmir Atatürk Stadium in İzmir, Turkey between 26 September and 6 October 1980. This was the second major athletics event to be staged at the stadium, following the athletics at the 1971 Mediterranean Games. A total of thirty athletics events were contested, twenty-one for men and nine for women. While the men's programme was well attended, the women's events attracted very few entries, with Turkish female track athletes composing the bulk of the competitors. Women's athletics in the Arab world particularly was at an early stage of development – only a year earlier had women's events been introduced at the Arab Athletics Championships and the African Championships in Athletics been launched.
The 1977 Arab Athletics Championships was the inaugural edition of the international athletics competition between Arab countries. It took place in Damascus, Syria, coming one year after the city had hosted the 1976 Pan Arab Games. The absence of Egypt, Algeria and Morocco—the three foremost Arab nations in the sport—meant the level of competition was lower than that seen at the games. Iraq was the dominant nation, winning half the gold medals, and Tunisia was a clear second place with five golds. The hosts, Syria, placed third with a medal haul of twelve. Eight of the twelve participating nations reached the medal table.
The 1984 Arab Junior Athletics Championships was the inaugural edition of the international athletics competition for under-20 athletes from Arab countries. It took place in Casablanca, Morocco from 21–23 July. A total of 38 athletics events were contested, 22 for men and 16 for women. The competition was scheduled to be held in the years between the biennial Arab Athletics Championships for senior athletes.
The 1986 Arab Junior Athletics Championships was the second edition of the international athletics competition for under-20 athletes from Arab countries. It took place in Cairo, Egypt. A total of 38 athletics events were contested, 22 for men and 16 for women. Algeria, a regional power in the sport, did not send a team.
The 1988 Arab Junior Athletics Championships was the third edition of the international athletics competition for under-20 athletes from Arab countries. It took place in Damascus, Syria – the first time the event was staged in West Asia. A total of 41 athletics events were contested, 23 for men and 18 for women. Morocco, a regional power in the sport, did not send a team. Syria entered for the first time.
The 1996 Arab Junior Athletics Championships was the seventh edition of the international athletics competition for under-20 athletes from Arab countries. It took place in Latakia, Syria. A total of 41 athletics events were contested, 22 for men and 19 for women. Morocco, a regional power in the sport, did not send a team to the meeting.
The 1998 Arab Junior Athletics Championships was the eighth edition of the international athletics competition for under-20 athletes from Arab countries. It took place in Damascus, Syria – the second time the city hosted the tournament, and a fifth hosting for Syria. Damascus also hosted the senior Arab women's championships that year. A total of 41 athletics events were contested, 22 for men and 19 for women. Morocco, a regional power in the sport, did not send a team to the meeting.
The 2002 Arab Junior Athletics Championships was the tenth edition of the international athletics competition for under-20 athletes from Arab countries. It took place in Cairo, Egypt – the city hosted the tournament once before in 1986. A total of 43 athletics events were contested, 22 for men and 21 for women. After an absence in 2000, regional powers Morocco, Algeria and Qatar all returned to the tournament.
The 2004 Arab Youth Athletics Championships was the inaugural edition of the international athletics competition for under-18 athletes from Arab countries. Organised by the Arab Athletic Federation, it took place in Rabat, Morocco from 31 July to 2 August. A total of thirty-nine events were contested, of which 20 by male and 19 by female athletes, identically matching the programme of the 2003 World Youth Championships in Athletics. The girls' programme did not have a steeplechase event.
The 2009 Arab Youth Athletics Championships was the third edition of the international athletics competition for under-18 athletes from Arab countries. Organised by the Arab Athletic Federation, it took place in the Syrian city of Aleppo from 22 to 24 July. A total of thirty-eight events were contested, of which 20 by male and 18 by female athletes. The difference was accounted for by the lack of steeplechase and pole vault events for girls.
Brit Lind-Petersen-McRoberts, also known as Brit Townsend, is a Canadian former track and field athlete who competed in middle-distance running events.
Laurent Dorique is a French track and field athlete who competes in the javelin throw. He was the gold medallist at the 2001 Mediterranean Games and the 2001 Francophonie Games. He was three times a gold medallist for his native Réunion at the Indian Ocean Island Games, winning in 1993, 1998 and 2011.
Abdelwahab Ferguène is an Algerian former racewalking athlete who competed in the 20 kilometres race walk. Born in Akbou, he twice represented Algeria at the Summer Olympics, 26th in 1984 and 32nd in 1988. He was also a three-time participant at the World Championships in Athletics and a four-time representative at the IAAF World Race Walking Cup. He was a two-time winner of the African Championships in Athletics and won four continental silver medals. He also finished in the top two at the Maghreb Athletics Championships and Arab Athletics Championships throughout his career.
Zahra Lachguer is a Moroccan former track and field athlete who specialised in the 400 metres hurdles. She was the gold medallist in the event at the 2002 African Championships in Athletics.
Abderrahmane Hammadi is an Algerian former track and field athlete who specialised in the 400 metres hurdles. He competed internationally for Algeria between 2003 and 2011.
John Stapylton-Smith is a retired New Zealand javelin thrower.
Volker Hadwich is a German male former javelin thrower who competed for East Germany and Germany. Born in Magdeburg, during his career he competed for his hometown club SC Magdeburg and stood at 1.96 m, weighing 103 kg. He set his personal best of 84.84 m in 1989.