Faisal Faisal
Encyclopedia
Faisal Ghazi Faisal is an Iraq
i athlete who hoped to represent Iraq
in the 2006 Winter Olympics
.
and lived in Wales
as a child.
He studied business management at the Central Queensland University
in Sydney
.
player in Iraq, and a regional champion in the 200 meter sprint. His uncle, Talib Faisal, set the 400 meter Iraq record.
, Canada
and Ireland
, coming instead to Australia
to pursue winter sports.
He tried a variety of sports. On weekends in Australia, where he was studying, he practiced skiing
and then snowboarding
. He tried speed skating
, but was told he would not be able to represent Iraq because the country had no ice rinks. In September 2004, he considered ski jumping
but a coach refused to help him.
In November 2004, he called the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, hoping to participate in skeleton
, and he was invited to Lake Placid
to train.
Faisal missed out on qualifying for the 2006 Winter Olympics
after missing half of the Olympic season because of administrative challenges.
2004/05
2005/06
2007/08
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i athlete who hoped to represent Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
in the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
.
Early life and education
Faisal grew up in BaghdadBaghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
and lived in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
as a child.
He studied business management at the Central Queensland University
Central Queensland University
CQUniversity is an Australian public university based in Queensland. Its main campus is in North Rockhampton Queensland. However, it also has campuses in Bundaberg, Emerald, Gladstone and Mackay, as well as operations throughout Asia-Pacific. For instance, Melior Business School is one of its...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
.
Summer sports
Faisal was an elite soccerFootball (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player in Iraq, and a regional champion in the 200 meter sprint. His uncle, Talib Faisal, set the 400 meter Iraq record.
Winter sports
In 1998, he vowed to represent Iraq at the Winter Olympics. He applied unsuccessfully for a visa to the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, coming instead to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
to pursue winter sports.
He tried a variety of sports. On weekends in Australia, where he was studying, he practiced skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
and then snowboarding
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...
. He tried speed skating
Speed skating
Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
, but was told he would not be able to represent Iraq because the country had no ice rinks. In September 2004, he considered ski jumping
Ski jumping
Ski jumping is a sport in which skiers go down a take-off ramp, jump and attempt to land as far as possible down the hill below. In addition to the length of the jump, judges give points for style. The skis used for ski jumping are wide and long...
but a coach refused to help him.
In November 2004, he called the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, hoping to participate in skeleton
Skeleton (sport)
Skeleton is a fast winter sliding sport in which an individual person rides a small sled down a frozen track while lying face down, during which athletes experience forces up to 5g. It originated in St. Moritz, Switzerland as a spin-off from the popular British sport of Cresta Sledding...
, and he was invited to Lake Placid
Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....
to train.
Faisal missed out on qualifying for the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
after missing half of the Olympic season because of administrative challenges.
Results
Skeleton:2004/05
- 32nd out of 37 finishers in January 29, 2005 America's Cup race 1 at Lake PlacidLake Placid, New YorkLake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....
- 30th out of 37 finishers in January 30, 2005 America's Cup race 2 at Lake PlacidLake Placid, New YorkLake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....
2005/06
- 21st out of 23 finishers in November 3, 2005 America's Cup race 1 at Lake PlacidLake Placid, New YorkLake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....
- 20th out of 23 finishers in November 4, 2005 America's Cup race 2 at Lake PlacidLake Placid, New YorkLake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....
- 14th out of 29 finishers in Jan 2006 CC Konigssee #1 Challenge Cup
- 22nd out of 29 finishers in Jan 2006 CC Konigsee #2 Challenge Cup
2007/08
- 27th out of 29 finishers in Apr 4, 2008 Lake Placid America's Cup
- 28th out of 29 finishers in Apr 5, 2008 Lake Placid America's Cup