Seltana Aït Hammou
Encyclopedia
Seltana Aït Hammou is a Moroccan
middle-distance runner who specialises in the 800 metres
. She represented her country at the 2004 Summer Olympics
and has also competed at the World Championships in Athletics and the IAAF World Indoor Championships. She has also been the gold medallist at number of major events including the 2001 Mediterranean Games
, the 2003 Military World Games
, the 2007 Pan Arab Games
and the 2009 Jeux de la Francophonie
.
She received a one-year ban from the sport of athletics in 2008 for missing three doping tests. She is the sister of Mina Aït Hammou, another successful Moroccan middle-distance athlete.
, she made her first international appearance for Morocco at the 1998 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
, where she was sixtieth in the long race. She was twelfth in the 10,000 metres at the 1998 World Junior Championships in Athletics
and competed in the junior race at the 1999 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
. He first junior honours came at the 2002 African Junior Championships in Athletics, at which she won the 1500 metres
silver behind Jeruto Kiptum
. She convinced her older sister Mina Aït Hammou to switch from handball
and soccer to athletics, which led to much success for the pair. The younger Seltana was the first to win international medals as she became the 800 m champion at the 2001 Mediterranean Games
. The following year she took fifth place at the 2002 African Championships in Athletics
and won the 800 m gold and 400 metres
silver medal at the 2002 Africa Military Games.
Aït Hammou competed on the world track stage for the first time at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics
, and she came close to reaching the 800 m final, finishing third in her semi-final (in which her sister won and went on to take fourth in the final). She closed the year at the 2003 Military World Games
and became the 800 m gold medallist at the event.
Her first major indoor competition came in the form of the 2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships
and she reached the semi-finals, finishing fifth. Her first Olympics also came that year at the 2004 Athens Olympics and she again reached the global level semi-finals, but she and her sister suffered the same fate of being eliminated at that stage. Her other large competition that year was the 2004 Pan Arab Games
in Algiers
, where she won the silver medal
. She ran at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics
, failing to make it past the heats, but she scored an 800/1500 m double at the 2005 Jeux de la Francophonie
at the end of the year.
Aït Hammou won the 1500 m gold medal
at the 2007 Pan Arab Games
, and also joined her sister in the Moroccan team to win the silver in the 4×400 metres relay. After being eliminated in the semi-finals at the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships
she was preparing to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics
. This was not to be, however, as both she and her sister were banned from competition by the IAAF for missing three out of competition doping tests between June 2007 and May 2008, resulting in a year-long ban from the sport. She returned at the end of the 2009 season and competed at the 2009 Jeux de la Francophonie
. She won the 800 m gold and also took 1500 m bronze in a closely run Moroccan sweep of the event, with Btissam Lakhouad
and Siham Hilali
the other medallists.
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
middle-distance runner who specialises in 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...
. She represented her country 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...
and has also competed at the World Championships in Athletics and the IAAF World Indoor Championships. She has also been the gold medallist at number of major events including the 2001 Mediterranean Games
2001 Mediterranean Games
The 14th edition of the Mediterranean Games were held in Tunis, the capital city of Tunisia, from 2 to 15 September 2001. Twenty three nations competed in 23 different sporting events. France won the most gold medals in the competition while Italy had the greatest medal haul overall with 136 in...
, the 2003 Military World Games
2003 Military World Games
The 2003 Military World Games was an international multi-sport event for military personnel which was held in Catania, Italy from 4–11 December 2003. It was the third edition of the competition organised by the Conseil International du Sport Militaire. A total of 84 nations were represented at the...
, the 2007 Pan Arab Games
2007 Pan Arab Games
The 11th Pan Arab Games took place in Cairo, Egypt from 11 – 26 November 2007. A total of 22 countries participated in 32 events. These games were the largest in the games' history; seven new events were introduced and 2000 more athletes participated than in previous years, making them 8000 Arab...
and the 2009 Jeux de la Francophonie
2009 Jeux de la Francophonie
The 2009 Jeux de la Francophonie, also known as VIèmes Jeux de la Francophonie, were held from September 27 to October 6 in Beirut, Lebanon.-Organization:...
.
She received a one-year ban from the sport of athletics in 2008 for missing three doping tests. She is the sister of Mina Aït Hammou, another successful Moroccan middle-distance athlete.
Career
Born in KenitraKenitra
Kenitra is a city in Morocco, formerly known as Port Lyautey. It is a port on the Sebou River, has a population in 2004 of 359,142 and is the capital of the Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen region. During the Cold War Kenitra's U.S...
, she made her first international appearance for Morocco at the 1998 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
1998 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 26th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 21-22 March 1998 in Marrakech, Morocco.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :...
, where she was sixtieth in the long race. She was twelfth in the 10,000 metres at the 1998 World Junior Championships in Athletics
1998 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 1998 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 1998 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Annecy, France from July 28 to August 2, 1998.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:...
and competed in the junior race at the 1999 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
1999 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 27th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 27-28 March 1999 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :...
. He first junior honours came at the 2002 African Junior Championships in Athletics, at which she won the 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...
silver behind Jeruto Kiptum
Jeruto Kiptum
Jeruto Kiptum is a Kenyan middle distance runner who specializes in the 3000 metres steeplechase.She was born in 1981 in Metkei, Keiyo District...
. She convinced her older sister Mina Aït Hammou to switch from handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
and soccer to athletics, which led to much success for the pair. The younger Seltana was the first to win international medals as she became the 800 m champion at the 2001 Mediterranean Games
Athletics at the 2001 Mediterranean Games
At the 2001 Mediterranean Games, the athletics events were held in Tunis and Radès in Tunisia from 11 to 14 September 2001. Italy topped the medal table with 9 gold medals and 30 medals in total, shortly followed by France which also had 9 golds but 23 medals overall. Greece had the next greatest...
. The following year she took fifth place at the 2002 African Championships in Athletics
2002 African Championships in Athletics
The 13th African Championships in Athletics were held in Tunis and Radès, Tunisia in August, 2002.- Men's Results :-Field:-Track:-Field:-Medal table:-External links:* - GBR Athletics...
and won the 800 m gold and 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...
silver medal at the 2002 Africa Military Games.
Aït Hammou competed on the world track stage for the first time 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 she came close to reaching the 800 m final, finishing third in her semi-final (in which her sister won and went on to take fourth in the final). She closed the year at the 2003 Military World Games
Track and field at the 2003 Military World Games
At the 2003 Military World Games, the track and field events were held at the Stadio Angelo Massimino in Catania, Italy, from 6 – 8 December 2003. The marathon races were held outside of the stadium, taking place in neighbouring Palermo...
and became the 800 m gold medallist at the event.
Her first major indoor competition came in the form of 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...
and she reached the semi-finals, finishing fifth. Her first Olympics also came that year at the 2004 Athens Olympics and she again reached the global level semi-finals, but she and her sister suffered the same fate of being eliminated at that stage. Her other large competition that year was the 2004 Pan Arab Games
Athletics at the 2004 Pan Arab Games
At the 2004 Pan Arab Games, the athletics events were held at the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers, Algeria from 4 to 8 October 2004. A total of 45 events were contested, of which 23 by male and 22 by female athletes. The host country topped the medal table having won a 16 gold medals and 34 medals...
in Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
, where she won the 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....
. She ran at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics
2005 World Championships in Athletics
The 10th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held in the Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland , the site of the first IAAF World Championships in 1983. One theme of the 2005 championships was paralympic sports, some of...
, failing to make it past the heats, but she scored an 800/1500 m double at the 2005 Jeux de la Francophonie
Athletics at the 2005 Jeux de la Francophonie
At the 2005 Jeux de la Francophonie, the athletics events were held at the Stade Général Seyni Kountché in Niamey, Niger, from 11–16 December 2005. A total of 43 events were contested, of which 23 by male and 20 by female athletes. France sent the largest squad and topped the medal table with 19...
at the end of the year.
Aït Hammou won the 1500 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...
at the 2007 Pan Arab Games
Athletics at the 2007 Pan Arab Games
At the 2007 Pan Arab Games, the athletics events were held at the Military Academy Stadium in Cairo, Egypt from 21 to 24 November 2007. A total of 46 events were contested, of which 23 by male and 23 by female athletes. Morocco was the most successful nation in the competition, taking ten gold...
, and also joined her sister in the Moroccan team to win the silver in the 4×400 metres relay. After being eliminated in the semi-finals at the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships
2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Luis Puig Palace in Valencia, Spain, March 7-9, 2008.-Bid:Valencia was announced the winning bidder by the IAAF on November 13, 2005 at an IAAF Council meeting in Moscow, Russia.-Men:...
she was preparing to compete 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...
. This was not to be, however, as both she and her sister were banned from competition by the IAAF for missing three out of competition doping tests between June 2007 and May 2008, resulting in a year-long ban from the sport. She returned at the end of the 2009 season and competed at the 2009 Jeux de la Francophonie
Athletics at the 2009 Jeux de la Francophonie
At the 2009 Jeux de la Francophonie, the athletics events were held at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium from October 1 to October 6...
. She won the 800 m gold and also took 1500 m bronze in a closely run Moroccan sweep of the event, with Btissam Lakhouad
Btissam Lakhouad
Btissam Lakhouad is a Moroccan middle distance runner who specializes in the 1500 metres.A Khouribga native, she competed in the 1500 m at both the 2007 and 2008 World Athletics Finals, finishing in sixth and eleventh place, respectively...
and Siham Hilali
Siham Hilali
Siham Hilali is a female middle distance runner Morocco who specializes in the 1500 metres.-Achievements:-Personal bests:*800 metres - 2:06.17 min *1500 metres - 4:04.03 min *3000 metres - 9:03.16 min...
the other medallists.
Personal bests
| Event | Time (min Minute A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units... ) |
Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 800 m | 1:59.59 | Gateshead Gateshead Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside... , England |
11 June 2006 |
| 1500 m | 4:12.9 | Meknès Meknes Meknes is a city in northern Morocco, located from the capital Rabat and from Fes. It is served by the A2 expressway between those two cities and by the corresponding railway. Meknes was the capital of Morocco under the reign of Moulay Ismail , before it was relocated to Marrakech. The... , Morocco |
24 May 2003 |
| 3000 m | 8:59.2 | Rabat Rabat Rabat , is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000... , Morocco |
24 May 1998 |
- All information taken from IAAF profile.