Oussama Mellouli
Encyclopedia
Oussama "Ous" Mellouli is a Tunisia
n swimmer who competes in the freestyle
and medley
events. He currently is an African Record
holder, and trains with the USA club based at the University of Southern California
, where he went to school and swam, collegiately.
Oussama Mellouli became the 1500 m freestyle World champion at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships
with a winning time of 14'37"28, second best performance of all time. Mellouli is the gold medalist in the 1500 freestyle at the 2008 Olympics. Mellouli tested positive in a 2006 drug test, after which his performances in the 2007 World Championships
were nullified.
, Mellouli left Tunisia at the age of 15 to study at the College of Rampart in Marseilles, France
. After his graduation, he continued his studies at the University of Southern California
and swam for the USC Trojans. He is a scholarship holder with the Olympic Solidarity program.
in Barcelona, Spain
with a bronze-medal performance in the 400m Individual Medley.
in Indianapolis, USA
where he won the first international-level gold medal in swimming for Tunisia
, in the 400 IM. At the 2004 Short Course Worlds he also garnered a silver medal in the 200 IM.
At the 2004 Olympics
he finished 5th in the 400 IM, setting the African Record
in the process.
in Montreal, Canada
. He also won the bronze-medal in the 400 freestyle at that same event.
He also won three gold medals (800 m freestyle, 400m medley, 200m medley) at the XVth Mediterranean Games in Almería, Spain.
Grand Prix meet, held at the Mizzou Aquatic Center at the University of Missouri
. He also set a new African record in the 400 meter individual medley.
On March 25, 2007, he won the silver in the 400m freestyle
(3:45.12) at the 2007 World Championships
in Melbourne, Australia. Three days later, on March 28, he swam to the first Tunisian World Championship in swimming in winning the 800m freestyle
in a then African Record of 7:46.95 — one of the top 10 fastest times ever. However, due to his positive drug-testing result from a in-competition test from December 2006 and the 18-month competition ban imposed on him on 11 September 2007 by the Court of Arbitration for Sport
(CAS), retroactive from 30 November 2006 forward, his 2007 World Championships results have been nullified. He was also a finalist in the 400m Individual Medley, where he originally finished fourth in 4:11.68.
Following the September 11, 2007 ruling by CAS, Mellouli was not allowed to compete again up mid-2008. All of Mellouli's results from 2007 have been nullified, per his September 2007 doping suspension, related to his positive test from December 2006 (see section below).
in Beijing, China. In doing so, he became the first African male swimmer to ever win an Olympic gold medal in an individual swimming event (the South African men's 4x100m Free Relay won the event at the 2004 Olympics
).
in Pescara, Italy.
In the 2009 World Aquatics Championships
, held in Rome during the summer, Mellouli won a gold medal in the 1500 meter freestyle and 2 silver medals in the 400 meter freestyle and 800 meter freestyle.
(25m) in Dubai, UAE
, reports began to surface that Mellouli had tested positive for a banned substance at the 2006 U.S. Open, November 30 – December 2, 2006. These reports surfaced because FINA
, the international governing body of the sport, had discovered that Tunisian authorities had known about the positive test but had only given him a warning. FINA/WADA rules state that when an athlete tests positive for a banned substance, he or she must be given a 2-year ban from the sport. Accordingly, FINA took the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport
(CAS), demanding stiffer sanction.
Mellouli has since admitted that he took the ADD
medication Adderall
, a stimulant
and a form of amphetamine
. (Already in June 2006, an American sports commentator wrote: Various studies show rampant use of Adderall, Ritalin and other drugs normally used for attention deficit disorder instead applied toward all-night cramming sessions. ) Mellouli did not have a prescription for the drug, having claimed to have received it from another USC
student shortly before the US Open. He argued that he took the pill in order to help himself with writing a term paper
(to sustain or enhance his academic performance) in the days leading up to the weekend US Open meet, and that the drug was not intended as a performance-enhancing substance for competitive swimming. However, amphetamines are on the official banned substances list; and can/do help swimming performance.
CAS ruled on Mellouli's case on September 11, 2007, ruling against him and issuing him an 18-month competition suspension, retroactively beginning on November 30, 2006. As a result of this sanction, all his results from the 2006 U.S. Open through the competitions his swam in 2007, including the 2007 World Championships, were nullified. Interestingly, and perhaps conscientiously, his ban from competition covered most, but not all, of the qualification window for the 2008 Olympics. As the retroactive nullification of results wiped out all of his qualifying times for the 2008 Games, he ended up with just a week or two after the ban in order to qualify (which he did).
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
n swimmer who competes in the freestyle
Freestyle swimming
Freestyle is an unregulated swimming style used in swimming competitions according to the rules of FINA. The front crawl stroke is almost universally used during a freestyle race, as this style is generally the fastest...
and medley
Medley swimming
Medley is a combination of four different swimming styles into one race. This race is either swum by one swimmer as individual medley or by four swimmers as a medley relay...
events. He currently is an African Record
African records in swimming
The African records in swimming are the fastest times ever by a swimmer representing an African country. These records are ratified by CANA, the African Swimming Confederation...
holder, and trains with the USA club based at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, where he went to school and swam, collegiately.
Oussama Mellouli became the 1500 m freestyle World champion at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships
2009 World Aquatics Championships
The 2009 World Aquatics Championships or the XIII FINA World Championships were celebrated in Rome, Italy in 2009 from July 17 to August 2. The 2009 Championships featured competition in all 5 aquatics disciplines: diving, swimming, open water swimming, synchronized swimming and water polo.Rome won...
with a winning time of 14'37"28, second best performance of all time. Mellouli is the gold medalist in the 1500 freestyle at the 2008 Olympics. Mellouli tested positive in a 2006 drug test, after which his performances in the 2007 World Championships
2007 World Aquatics Championships
The 2007 World Aquatics Championships or the XII FINA World Championships were held in Melbourne, Australia from 17 March to 1 April 2007...
were nullified.
Biography
Born in TunisTunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
, Mellouli left Tunisia at the age of 15 to study at the College of Rampart in Marseilles, 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...
. After his graduation, he continued his studies at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
and swam for the USC Trojans. He is a scholarship holder with the Olympic Solidarity program.
2003
He first established himself on the world scene at the 2003 World Championships2003 World Aquatics Championships
Barcelona, Spain was the host city of the X FINA World Aquatics Championships or the 10th FINA World Championships in Aquatics, which were held from July 12 until July 27, 2003....
in Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
with a bronze-medal performance in the 400m Individual Medley.
2004
He further distinguished himself at the 2004 FINA Short Course World Championships2004 FINA Short Course World Championships
The 7th FINA Short Course World Championships were held at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA from October 7 through October 11, 2004.-Freestyle:-Backstroke:-Breaststroke:-Butterfly:-Individual:-Relay:-Metal Table:...
in Indianapolis, USA
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
where he won the first international-level gold medal in swimming for Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, in the 400 IM. At the 2004 Short Course Worlds he also garnered a silver medal in the 200 IM.
At the 2004 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...
he finished 5th in the 400 IM, setting the African Record
African records in swimming
The African records in swimming are the fastest times ever by a swimmer representing an African country. These records are ratified by CANA, the African Swimming Confederation...
in the process.
2005
He bettered that mark with his bronze-medal swim in the 400 IM event at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships2005 World Aquatics Championships
The 2005 World Aquatics Championships or the XI FINA World Championships were held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from July 16 to July 31, 2005...
in Montreal, Canada
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. He also won the bronze-medal in the 400 freestyle at that same event.
He also won three gold medals (800 m freestyle, 400m medley, 200m medley) at the XVth Mediterranean Games in Almería, Spain.
2006
On December 1, 2006, Oussama Mellouli beat Michael Phelps in the 400m IM at the U.S. Open in West Lafayette: Mellouli clocked 4:15.61, ahead of Phelps with 4:18.32. This swim however was subsequently placed within Mellouli's 18-month doping ban, and the results nullified, as the drug test where the banned substance was found occurred at this meet (see section below for further information).2007
On February 19, 2007, he broke his own African Record in the 200m individual medley for the fourth time since 2003 at the USA SwimmingUSA Swimming
USA Swimming is the national governing body for competitive swimming in the United States. It is charged with selecting the United States Olympic Swimming team and any other teams which officially represent the United States, as well as the overall organization and operation of the sport within the...
Grand Prix meet, held at the Mizzou Aquatic Center at the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
. He also set a new African record in the 400 meter individual medley.
On March 25, 2007, he won the silver in the 400m freestyle
Swimming at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships - Men's 400 m freestyle
The men's 400 metre freestyle at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships took placed on 25 March at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia.The existing records at the start of the event were:...
(3:45.12) at the 2007 World Championships
2007 World Aquatics Championships
The 2007 World Aquatics Championships or the XII FINA World Championships were held in Melbourne, Australia from 17 March to 1 April 2007...
in Melbourne, Australia. Three days later, on March 28, he swam to the first Tunisian World Championship in swimming in winning the 800m freestyle
Swimming at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships - Men's 800 m freestyle
The men's 800 metre freestyle was the 17th event of the swimming program at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships held in Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia. The event was swum on the morning of 27 March and in the evening of 28 March. 46 swimmers were entered in the event, of which 43 swam...
in a then African Record of 7:46.95 — one of the top 10 fastest times ever. However, due to his positive drug-testing result from a in-competition test from December 2006 and the 18-month competition ban imposed on him on 11 September 2007 by the Court of Arbitration for Sport
Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport is an international arbitration body set up to settle disputes related to sport. Its headquarters are in Lausanne and its courts are located in New York, Sydney and Lausanne, Switzerland...
(CAS), retroactive from 30 November 2006 forward, his 2007 World Championships results have been nullified. He was also a finalist in the 400m Individual Medley, where he originally finished fourth in 4:11.68.
Following the September 11, 2007 ruling by CAS, Mellouli was not allowed to compete again up mid-2008. All of Mellouli's results from 2007 have been nullified, per his September 2007 doping suspension, related to his positive test from December 2006 (see section below).
2008
Mellouli won the 1500 freestyle at the 2008 OlympicsSwimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held over a thirteen day period from August 9 to August 21, with the conventional events ending on August 17 and the new marathon 10 km events being held on August 20 and 21...
in Beijing, China. In doing so, he became the first African male swimmer to ever win an Olympic gold medal in an individual swimming event (the South African men's 4x100m Free Relay won the event at the 2004 Olympics
Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics took place in the Olympic Aquatic Centre with the athletes competing in 32 events. There was a total of 937 participants from 152 countries competing.-Medal table:-Men's events:...
).
2009
Mellouli won 5 gold medals (200m and 400m individual medley, and 200m, 400m and 1500m freestyles) at the XVI Mediterranean GamesSwimming at the 2009 Mediterranean Games
The swimming events of the 2009 Mediterranean Games were held at the Naiadi Swimming Complex in Pescara, Italy from Saturday 27 June to Wednesday 1 July 2009...
in Pescara, Italy.
In the 2009 World Aquatics Championships
2009 World Aquatics Championships
The 2009 World Aquatics Championships or the XIII FINA World Championships were celebrated in Rome, Italy in 2009 from July 17 to August 2. The 2009 Championships featured competition in all 5 aquatics disciplines: diving, swimming, open water swimming, synchronized swimming and water polo.Rome won...
, held in Rome during the summer, Mellouli won a gold medal in the 1500 meter freestyle and 2 silver medals in the 400 meter freestyle and 800 meter freestyle.
2010
Mellouli won 4 medals ( 1 gold in the 1500 freestyle; 1 silver in the 400 medley and 2 bronzes in the 200 m freestyle and the 400 m freestyle) at the 2010 FINA Short Course World Championships2010 FINA Short Course World Championships
The 10th FINA World Championships was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from 15–19 December 2010. This swimming-only championships took place in the Dubai Sports Complex; all events were swum in a 25-meter pool....
(25m) in Dubai, UAE
Positive drug test
A few weeks after the conclusion of the 2007 World Championships2007 World Aquatics Championships
The 2007 World Aquatics Championships or the XII FINA World Championships were held in Melbourne, Australia from 17 March to 1 April 2007...
, reports began to surface that Mellouli had tested positive for a banned substance at the 2006 U.S. Open, November 30 – December 2, 2006. These reports surfaced because FINA
Fina
Fina may refer to:*Fina, a character in the Skies of Arcadia video game*FINA, the International Swimming Federation*FINA, the North American Forum on Integration...
, the international governing body of the sport, had discovered that Tunisian authorities had known about the positive test but had only given him a warning. FINA/WADA rules state that when an athlete tests positive for a banned substance, he or she must be given a 2-year ban from the sport. Accordingly, FINA took the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport
Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport is an international arbitration body set up to settle disputes related to sport. Its headquarters are in Lausanne and its courts are located in New York, Sydney and Lausanne, Switzerland...
(CAS), demanding stiffer sanction.
Mellouli has since admitted that he took the ADD
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a developmental disorder. It is primarily characterized by "the co-existence of attentional problems and hyperactivity, with each behavior occurring infrequently alone" and symptoms starting before seven years of age.ADHD is the most commonly studied and...
medication Adderall
Adderall
Adderall is a brand name of amphetamine salts–based medication used for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy. It is a brand-name psychostimulant medication composed of racemic amphetamine aspartate monohydrate, racemic amphetamine sulfate, dextroamphetamine saccharide, and...
, a stimulant
Stimulant
Stimulants are psychoactive drugs which induce temporary improvements in either mental or physical function or both. Examples of these kinds of effects may include enhanced alertness, wakefulness, and locomotion, among others...
and a form of amphetamine
Amphetamine
Amphetamine or amfetamine is a psychostimulant drug of the phenethylamine class which produces increased wakefulness and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite.Brand names of medications that contain, or metabolize into, amphetamine include Adderall, Dexedrine, Dextrostat,...
. (Already in June 2006, an American sports commentator wrote: Various studies show rampant use of Adderall, Ritalin and other drugs normally used for attention deficit disorder instead applied toward all-night cramming sessions. ) Mellouli did not have a prescription for the drug, having claimed to have received it from another USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
student shortly before the US Open. He argued that he took the pill in order to help himself with writing a term paper
Term paper
A term paper is a research paper written by students over an academic term, accounting for a large part of a grade. Term papers are generally intended to describe an event, a concept, or argue a point. A term paper is a written original work discussing a topic in detail, usually several typed pages...
(to sustain or enhance his academic performance) in the days leading up to the weekend US Open meet, and that the drug was not intended as a performance-enhancing substance for competitive swimming. However, amphetamines are on the official banned substances list; and can/do help swimming performance.
CAS ruled on Mellouli's case on September 11, 2007, ruling against him and issuing him an 18-month competition suspension, retroactively beginning on November 30, 2006. As a result of this sanction, all his results from the 2006 U.S. Open through the competitions his swam in 2007, including the 2007 World Championships, were nullified. Interestingly, and perhaps conscientiously, his ban from competition covered most, but not all, of the qualification window for the 2008 Olympics. As the retroactive nullification of results wiped out all of his qualifying times for the 2008 Games, he ended up with just a week or two after the ban in order to qualify (which he did).
Achievements
- 2009 World Championships2009 World Aquatics ChampionshipsThe 2009 World Aquatics Championships or the XIII FINA World Championships were celebrated in Rome, Italy in 2009 from July 17 to August 2. The 2009 Championships featured competition in all 5 aquatics disciplines: diving, swimming, open water swimming, synchronized swimming and water polo.Rome won...
– 1 gold medal (1500 m freestyle) and 2 silver medals (400 m freestyle, 800 m freestyle) - 2008 Summer Olympics2008 Summer OlympicsThe 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...
– gold medal (1500 m freestyle) - 2007 World Championships2007 World Aquatics ChampionshipsThe 2007 World Aquatics Championships or the XII FINA World Championships were held in Melbourne, Australia from 17 March to 1 April 2007...
— results nullified. - 2005 World Championships2005 World Aquatics ChampionshipsThe 2005 World Aquatics Championships or the XI FINA World Championships were held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from July 16 to July 31, 2005...
– bronze medal (400m individual medley and 400m freestyle) - 2004 Olympic Games – fifth place (400 m individual medley)
- 2004 FINA Short Course World Championships2004 FINA Short Course World ChampionshipsThe 7th FINA Short Course World Championships were held at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA from October 7 through October 11, 2004.-Freestyle:-Backstroke:-Breaststroke:-Butterfly:-Individual:-Relay:-Metal Table:...
– bronze medal (200 m individual medley) - 2004 FINA Short Course World Championships2004 FINA Short Course World ChampionshipsThe 7th FINA Short Course World Championships were held at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA from October 7 through October 11, 2004.-Freestyle:-Backstroke:-Breaststroke:-Butterfly:-Individual:-Relay:-Metal Table:...
– gold medal (400 m individual medley) - 2003 World Championships2003 World Aquatics ChampionshipsBarcelona, Spain was the host city of the X FINA World Aquatics Championships or the 10th FINA World Championships in Aquatics, which were held from July 12 until July 27, 2003....
– bronze medal (400 m individual medley)
See also
- Adderall#Performance-enhancing use
- List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences