Nawal El Moutawakel claimed gold in the inaugural 400m hurdles at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.
Wins inaugural 400m
The 400m hurdles for women made its Olympic debut at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. In the final, El Moutawakel led from start to finish and improved her personal best by 0.76 seconds.
Historic result
El Moutawakel’s achievement made her the first woman from an Islamic nation to win an Olympic medal and the first Moroccan athlete of either sex to win a gold medal.
Home support
Back in her hometown of Casablanca, her final was televised live at 2 a.m. When El Moutawakel took her victory lap carrying a huge Moroccan flag, people in Casablanca poured into the streets to celebrate.
IOC member
In 1998, El Moutawakel was chosen to be a member of the International Olympic Committee. She was Chairwoman of the Evaluation Commission for the selection of the host city for the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympic Games.
