Muriel Hurtis
Encyclopedia
Muriel Hurtis-Houairi (born March 25, 1979 in Bondy
, Seine-Saint-Denis
) is a track and field
athlete from France
who specialises in the 200 metres
. She came to prominence in 2002 when she won the 200 m gold medal
s at both the European Indoor Championships and the European Athletics Championships. The following year she added the World Indoor title and won a bronze medal
at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics
and a gold in the 4×100 metres relay with France.
Her form faltered over the next few years and she failed to get past the quarter-final stage at the 2004 Olympic Games, although she won Olympic bronze in the relay. She failed to retain her European title at the 2006 European Athletics Championships and was knocked out at the quarter-finals of the 2007 World Championships
. She missed out on the 200 m final at the 2008 Summer Olympics
by one place. She is the French indoor record
holder over 200 m.
, France, where she won the 200 m gold medal
. She made her first senior global appearance at age 20 at the 1999 World Championships in Athletics
and, after running a personal best of 22.31 seconds in the qualifiers, she finished fifth in the 200 m semi-finals. She ran with the women's 4×100 metres relay team and scored a silver medal alongside Sylviane Félix
, Frédérique Bangué
, and Odiah Sidibé
. Hurtis made her Olympic debut the following year at the 2000 Summer Olympics
and again she reached the semi-finals, this time finishing in seventh place. Hurtis's first global final came at the 2001 IAAF World Indoor Championships
, where she finished in fifth. She also helped the French relay team to the World silver medal at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics
later that year.
personal best that summer, recording a time of 10.96 seconds, making her the joint second-fastest French woman over the distance alongside Marie-José Pérec
. She became the 200 m European Champion at the 2002 European Athletics Championships, winning in a season's best time of 22.43 seconds, and won a second gold with France as part of the 4×100 metres relay team. She closed the year with a fourth place in the 100 m at the 2002 IAAF Grand Prix Final
and by winning the 200 m silver medal
at the 2002 IAAF World Cup
behind Debbie Ferguson
.
She continued her strong form into 2003, recording a French indoor record of 22.49 seconds in the 200 m at the 2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships
before going on to win the gold medal. At the 2003 World Championships in Athletics
she finished in fourth place, but the original winner (Kelli White
) was stripped of her medal for using banned substances and Hurtis was upgraded to the bronze medal. Further complicating the situation, Anastasiya Kapachinskaya
, who was upgraded to the gold medal was banned six months later for steroid use. Hurtis went on to win her second medal of the competition by winning the relay with Sylviane Félix
, Christine Arron and Patricia Girard. At the inaugural 2003 IAAF World Athletics Final
, she won the 200 m gold and took fifth in the 100 m.
race at the 2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships
as was fifth with a season's best of 7.17 seconds. In the 2004 Olympics she failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the 200 metres. She won the bronze medal in the 4x100m relay
at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
Hurtis-Houairi represented France at the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
. She competed at the 4x100 metres relay together with Myriam Soumaré
, Lina Jacques-Sebastien
and Carima Louami
. In their first round heat they did not finish and were eliminated due to a mistake with the baton exchange.
A number of injuries to her hamstring
interrupted her career in 2009 and 2010, but she returned to the track in May 2010 and ran the 400 metres
in 53.65 seconds. Encouraged by her quick performance, given that she had not attempted distance competitively since 1998, she did not rule out a switch to the longer distance. However, she said her main focus remained the 200 m.
Bondy
Bondy is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-Name:The name Bondy was recorded for the first time around AD 600 as Bonitiacum, meaning "estate of Bonitius", a Gallo-Roman landowner.-History:...
, Seine-Saint-Denis
Seine-Saint-Denis
- Culture :A number of hip hop artists come from the Seine-Saint-Denis, including one of the first major hip-hop groups in France, NTM, as well as Lord Kossity, or more recent acts such as Tandem or Sefyu.- Miscellaneous topics :...
) is a track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athlete from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
who specialises in the 200 metres
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
. She came to prominence in 2002 when she won the 200 m 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...
s at both the European Indoor Championships and the European Athletics Championships. The following year she added the World Indoor title and won 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 2003 World Championships in Athletics
2003 World Championships in Athletics
The 9th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held from 23 August to 31 August 2003 in the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, France.-Track:...
and a gold in the 4×100 metres relay with France.
Her form faltered over the next few years and she failed to get past the quarter-final stage at the 2004 Olympic Games, although she won Olympic bronze in the relay. She failed to retain her European title at the 2006 European Athletics Championships and was knocked out at the quarter-finals of the 2007 World Championships
2007 World Championships in Athletics
The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...
. She missed out on the 200 m final at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
by one place. She is the French indoor record
French records in athletics
The following are the national records in athletics in France maintained by France's national athletics federation – Fédération française d'athlétisme .- Men :- Women :- Men :- Women :+ = en route to a longer distance...
holder over 200 m.
Career
Her first major success came at the 1998 IAAF World Junior Championships in AnnecyAnnecy
Annecy is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy , 35 kilometres south of Geneva.-Administration:...
, France, where she won the 200 m 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...
. She made her first senior global appearance at age 20 at the 1999 World Championships in Athletics
1999 World Championships in Athletics
The 7th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Estadio Olímpico, Seville, Spain, between the August 20 and August 29....
and, after running a personal best of 22.31 seconds in the qualifiers, she finished fifth in the 200 m semi-finals. She ran with the women's 4×100 metres relay team and scored a silver medal alongside Sylviane Félix
Sylviane Felix
Sylviane Felix is a track and field sprint athlete, competing internationally for France, who won the bronze medal in the 4x100m relay at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece....
, Frédérique Bangué
Frédérique Bangué
Frederique Bangue is a French sprinter who competed in the 100 metres. Her personal best being 11.16 seconds, she never reached a world-level final individually. However, when competing in the shorter distance of 60 metres or relay races, she has won medals...
, and Odiah Sidibé
Odiah Sidibé
Odiah Sidibé is a French sprint athlete of Guinean descent.- Achievements :* 2002 European Championships in Athletics - gold medal * 2002 European Championships in Athletics - seventh place...
. Hurtis made her Olympic debut the following year at the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
and again she reached the semi-finals, this time finishing in seventh place. Hurtis's first global final came at the 2001 IAAF World Indoor Championships
2001 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 8th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Pavilhão Atlântico in Lisbon, Portugal from March 9 to March 11 2001. It was the first time the Championships had been held in Portugal...
, where she finished in fifth. She also helped the French relay team to the World silver medal at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics
2001 World Championships in Athletics
The 8th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada between 3 August and 12 August and was the first time the event had visited North America...
later that year.
European and World medals
The 2002 season marked a significant career progression for Hurtis, beginning with the gold medal at the European Indoor Championships. She ran a 100 metres100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
personal best that summer, recording a time of 10.96 seconds, making her the joint second-fastest French woman over the distance alongside Marie-José Pérec
Marie-José Pérec
Marie-José Pérec is a French athlete, specialised in the 200 and 400 m, and a triple Olympic champion....
. She became the 200 m European Champion at the 2002 European Athletics Championships, winning in a season's best time of 22.43 seconds, and won a second gold with France as part of the 4×100 metres relay team. She closed the year with a fourth place in the 100 m at the 2002 IAAF Grand Prix Final
2002 IAAF Grand Prix Final
The 18th IAAF Grand Prix Final was held at the Stade Sébastien Charléty in Paris, France on September 14, 2002. This was the last Grand Prix Final to be staged, the competition being replaced by the World Athletics Final in 2003.-Men:- Women :...
and by winning the 200 m 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 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...
behind Debbie Ferguson
Debbie Ferguson
Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie is a Bahamian sprint athlete who specialises in the 100 and 200 metres. She had her first major successes with the Bahamian 4×100 metres relay team, winning gold at the Pan American Games and World Championships in Athletics in 1999, and taking another gold at the Olympic...
.
She continued her strong form into 2003, recording a French indoor record of 22.49 seconds in the 200 m at the 2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships
2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 9th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held in the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, UK from 14 March to 16 March 2003. It was the first time the Championships had been held in the UK...
before going on to win the gold medal. At the 2003 World Championships in Athletics
2003 World Championships in Athletics
The 9th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held from 23 August to 31 August 2003 in the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, France.-Track:...
she finished in fourth place, but the original winner (Kelli White
Kelli White
Kelli White is an American former sprinter. She won two gold medals in the World Championships in Paris in 2003. However, on June 18, 2004, she was stripped of her medals, because she tested positive on a drug test. She admitted guilt and testified before the Court of Arbitration for Sport...
) was stripped of her medal for using banned substances and Hurtis was upgraded to the bronze medal. Further complicating the situation, Anastasiya Kapachinskaya
Anastasiya Kapachinskaya
Anastasiya Alexandrovna Kapachinskaya is a sprint athlete.At the IAAF World Indoor Championships in 2004 she won the 200 m, but was stripped of the title after testing positive for the banned anabolic steroid stanozolol...
, who was upgraded to the gold medal was banned six months later for steroid use. Hurtis went on to win her second medal of the competition by winning the relay with Sylviane Félix
Sylviane Felix
Sylviane Felix is a track and field sprint athlete, competing internationally for France, who won the bronze medal in the 4x100m relay at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece....
, Christine Arron and Patricia Girard. At the inaugural 2003 IAAF World Athletics Final
2003 IAAF World Athletics Final
The 1st IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Stade Louis II, in Monte Carlo, Monaco on 13 September and 14 September 2003.The hammer throw event for men and women had to take place in Szombathely, Hungary a week previous as the Monaco stadium was not large enough to hold the event.One of the...
, she won the 200 m gold and took fifth in the 100 m.
Drop in form
With the removal of the 200 m from the World Indoor programme, Hurtis took part in her first global 60 metres60 metres
60 metres is a sprint event in track and field athletics. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes...
race at the 2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships
2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 10th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations were held in the Budapest Arena, Hungary between March 5 and March 7, 2004...
as was fifth with a season's best of 7.17 seconds. In the 2004 Olympics she failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the 200 metres. She won the bronze medal in the 4x100m relay
Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Women's 4 x 100 metres relay
The women's 4×100 metres relay was one of 23 track events of the athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics, in Athens. It was contested at the Athens Olympic Stadium, from August 26 to August 27, by a total of sixteen national teams comprising 65 athletes....
at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
Hurtis-Houairi represented France at the 2008 Summer Olympics
France at the 2008 Summer Olympics
-Medalists:- Diving:MenNo CompetitorsWomen- Swimming:France will be represented by 35 swimmers, including Alain Bernard and Laure Manaudou.MenWomen- Synchronised Swimming:...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. She competed at the 4x100 metres relay together with Myriam Soumaré
Myriam Soumaré
Myriam Soumaré is a track and field sprint athlete, who competes internationally for France. At the 2010 European Championships in Barcelona, she won the gold medal in the 200 m meters with a time of 22.32 seconds in lane 8, shaving her previous personal best by 0.69s in doing so, and a bronze...
, Lina Jacques-Sebastien
Lina Jacques-Sébastien
Lina Jacques-Sébastien is a French sprint athlete who specializes in the 100 metres and 200 metres....
and Carima Louami
Carima Louami
Carima Louami, born in Tourcoing, is a track and field sprint athlete who competes internationally for France.Louami represented France at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. She competed at the 4x100 metres relay together with Muriel Hurtis-Houairi, Myriam Soumaré and Lina Jacques-Sébastien...
. In their first round heat they did not finish and were eliminated due to a mistake with the baton exchange.
A number of injuries to her hamstring
Hamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...
interrupted her career in 2009 and 2010, but she returned to the track in May 2010 and ran the 400 metres
400 metres
The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...
in 53.65 seconds. Encouraged by her quick performance, given that she had not attempted distance competitively since 1998, she did not rule out a switch to the longer distance. However, she said her main focus remained the 200 m.
Personal bests
| Event | Time (sec Second The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock.... ) |
Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 metres 50 metres 50 metres is a sprint event in track and field. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor athletics competitions it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes... |
6.14 | Liévin Liévin Liévin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Overview:The city of Liévin is an old mining city of Pas-de-Calais. Near Lens, this modest-sized city nevertheless has several nursery schools, schools, colleges, a university, a swimming pool, a city library, a cultural and... , France |
23 February 2003 |
| 60 metres 60 metres 60 metres is a sprint event in track and field athletics. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes... |
7.09 | Liévin Liévin Liévin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Overview:The city of Liévin is an old mining city of Pas-de-Calais. Near Lens, this modest-sized city nevertheless has several nursery schools, schools, colleges, a university, a swimming pool, a city library, a cultural and... , France |
23 February 2003 |
| 100 metres 100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896... |
10.96 | Annecy Annecy Annecy is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy , 35 kilometres south of Geneva.-Administration:... , France |
22 June 2002 |
| 150 metres | 17.35 | Nantes Nantes Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants.... , France |
22 September 1999 |
| 200 metres 200 metres A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first... |
22.31 | Seville, Spain | 24 August 1999 |
| 400 metres 400 metres The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and... |
52.94 | Antony, Hauts-de-Seine Antony, Hauts-de-Seine -Personalities:Antony was the birthplace of:* Nicola Sirkis singer with the French band Indochine* Agnès Jaoui screenwriter, film director and actress* Laurent Lafforgue , mathematician-International relations:... , France |
22 May 2010 |
| 100 metres 100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896... (indoor) |
11.28 | Tampere Tampere Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in... , Finland |
4 February 2002 |
| 200 metres 200 metres A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first... |
22.49 NR French records in athletics The following are the national records in athletics in France maintained by France's national athletics federation – Fédération française d'athlétisme .- Men :- Women :- Men :- Women :+ = en route to a longer distance... |
Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a... , United Kingdom |
14 March 2003 |
- All information taken from IAAF profile.