Abdulrahman Suleiman
Encyclopedia
Abdulrahman Suleiman (born 10 January 1984) is a Qatar
i middle-distance runner who specialises in both the 800 metres
and 1500 metres
. He was the 2002 Asian champion over 1500 m and represented Qatar at the 2004 Summer Olympics
.
Born in Qatar, he was the second of his family to enjoy success in professional athletics, following in the footsteps of his older brother Mohamed Suleiman who was Qatar's first ever Olympic medallist. Suleiman began competing internationally at youth level: he ran in the 800 m heats of the 1999 World Youth Championships in Athletics
and reached the event final at the 2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics
the next year. His first medalling performances soon followed, although they came over the longer 1500 m distance – a bronze medal
at the 2001 World Youth Championships
paved the way for his silver medal
at the 2002 World Junior Championships
.
Suleiman broke into the global elite at the age of nineteen later that year, taking a gold medal
at the 2002 Asian Athletics Championships. Another of his brothers (Nasser Suleiman) won a 5000 metres
medal at the same competition and Abdulrahman said of his 1500 m win "I am proud to have kept up a 12-year-old family tradition". The performance at the continental championships earned him a 1500 m place on the Asian team at the 2002 IAAF World Cup
. His brother Mohamed was the 1992 champion of the competition, but the younger Suleiman did not scale such heights and finished in seventh place. He represented his country on the Olympic stage at the 2004 Athens Olympics, but he did not manage to progress beyond the heats stage. At the 2005 Asian Athletics Championships he completed a Qatari 1–2 in the 1500 m with Majed Saeed Sultan
and Suleiman's runner-up time of 1:44.73 was a new personal best.
He ran at the 2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships
and set a Qatari indoor record
over 800 m with a time of 1:47.58. He finished fifth in his semi-final, thus he did not make the cut for the 800 m world final. He represented his continent in the 1500 m for a second time at the 2006 IAAF World Cup
, and again he was the seventh place finisher. That year at the Memorial van Damme
in Brussels
, Suleiman teamed up with Majed Saeed Sultan
, Salem Amer Al-Badri and Abubaker Ali Kamal
to form a Qatari 4×800 metres relay team. The Kenya
n team ran a world record time but Qatar's fourth place in 7:06.66 (four seconds behind) was a new Asian record for the uncommon event.
Suleiman has not competed internationally since 2006.
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
i middle-distance runner who specialises in both the 800 metres
800 metres
The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...
and 1500 metres
1500 metres
The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...
. He was the 2002 Asian champion over 1500 m and represented Qatar at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
.
Born in Qatar, he was the second of his family to enjoy success in professional athletics, following in the footsteps of his older brother Mohamed Suleiman who was Qatar's first ever Olympic medallist. Suleiman began competing internationally at youth level: he ran in the 800 m heats of the 1999 World Youth Championships in Athletics
1999 World Youth Championships in Athletics
The 1999 World Youth Championships in Athletics was the first edition of the World Youth Championships in Athletics. It was held in Bydgoszcz, Poland from July 16 to July 18, 1999.-Boys:-Girls:-Medals table:...
and reached the event final at the 2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics
2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2000 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Santiago, Chile.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:...
the next year. His first medalling performances soon followed, although they came over the longer 1500 m distance – a bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
at the 2001 World Youth Championships
2001 World Youth Championships in Athletics
The 2001 World Youth Championships in Athletics was the second edition of the World Youth Championships in Athletics. It was held in Debrecen, Hungary from July 12 to July 15, 2001. -Boys:-Girls:-Medals table:...
paved the way for his silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
at the 2002 World Junior Championships
2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2002 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Kingston, Jamaica from July 16 to July 21, 2002.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:...
.
Suleiman broke into the global elite at the age of nineteen later that year, taking a gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
at the 2002 Asian Athletics Championships. Another of his brothers (Nasser Suleiman) won a 5000 metres
5000 metres
The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...
medal at the same competition and Abdulrahman said of his 1500 m win "I am proud to have kept up a 12-year-old family tradition". The performance at the continental championships earned him a 1500 m place on the Asian team at the 2002 IAAF World Cup
2002 IAAF World Cup
The 9th IAAF World Cup in Athletics was an international track and field sporting event sponsored by the International Association of Athletics Federations. It was hosted by Madrid, September 21–22, 2002, in the Estadio La Peineta...
. His brother Mohamed was the 1992 champion of the competition, but the younger Suleiman did not scale such heights and finished in seventh place. He represented his country on the Olympic stage at the 2004 Athens Olympics, but he did not manage to progress beyond the heats stage. At the 2005 Asian Athletics Championships he completed a Qatari 1–2 in the 1500 m with Majed Saeed Sultan
Majed Saeed Sultan
Majed Saeed Sultan is a middle distance runner now representing Qatar after switching from Kenya. He specializes at the 800 metres, a distance where he became 2004 junior world champion and competed in the Olympic Games in Athens.In September 2005 he became Asian champion.-External links:...
and Suleiman's runner-up time of 1:44.73 was a new personal best.
He ran at the 2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships
2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 11th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations was held in Moscow from March 10 to March 12, 2006 in the Olimpiyski Sport arena....
and set a Qatari indoor record
Qatari records in athletics
The following are the national records in athletics in Qatar maintained by Qatar Association of Athletics Federation .-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:X = unratified due to doping violation-External links:*...
over 800 m with a time of 1:47.58. He finished fifth in his semi-final, thus he did not make the cut for the 800 m world final. He represented his continent in the 1500 m for a second time at the 2006 IAAF World Cup
2006 IAAF World Cup
The 10th IAAF World Cup in Athletics was an international track and field sporting event, held under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, which took place on 16 and 17 September 2006 at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece....
, and again he was the seventh place finisher. That year at the Memorial van Damme
Memorial Van Damme
Memorial van Damme is an annual athletics event at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium that takes place in late August or early September...
in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Suleiman teamed up with Majed Saeed Sultan
Majed Saeed Sultan
Majed Saeed Sultan is a middle distance runner now representing Qatar after switching from Kenya. He specializes at the 800 metres, a distance where he became 2004 junior world champion and competed in the Olympic Games in Athens.In September 2005 he became Asian champion.-External links:...
, Salem Amer Al-Badri and Abubaker Ali Kamal
Abubaker Ali Kamal
Abubaker Ali Kamal is a Qatari runner who has specialized mostly in the 1500 metres and 3000 metres steeplechase.-Achievements:-Personal bests:*800 metres – 1:46.38 min *1500 metres – 3:36.98 min...
to form a Qatari 4×800 metres relay team. The Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
n team ran a world record time but Qatar's fourth place in 7:06.66 (four seconds behind) was a new Asian record for the uncommon event.
Suleiman has not competed internationally since 2006.