Ahmad 
Moroccan champion Nawal El Moutawakel engraved her name with a golden ink on the Arab athletics arena after she became the first Arab woman to win a medal in the Summer Olympics.
In 1984, Al-Moutawakel achieved a historic achievement by winning the gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles race at the Los Angeles Olympics, making her the first Arab and African woman to reach the podium at the Olympics.
Al-Moutawakel was born on April 15, 1962, in Casablanca, and grew up in a sports house where her father practiced judo and her brothers practiced athletics.
Al-Moutawakel joined the Casablanca Municipal Club at the age of 15 and began her training under the supervision of French coach Jean-François Cocan, who directed her to specialize in the 400-meter distance.
Al-Moutawakel has distinguished herself since the beginning of her sporting career, as she excelled at the African Games in 1982 by winning two gold medals in the 100-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles. She also participated in the Mediterranean Games in 1983 and won gold and repeated the achievement in the same tournament in 1987 in Syria.
Al-Moutawakel reached the pinnacle of her athletic glory at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, where she won the gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles, becoming the first Arab and African woman to achieve this remarkable achievement. With this medal, she opened the door for Moroccan, Arab, and African girls to break into the sport of athletics.
Despite her injury and early retirement at the age of 25, Al-Moutawakel did not cease to influence the world of sports, as she held several important positions in international sports institutions, including her membership in the Executive Office of the International Association of Athletics Federations and the International Olympic Committee since 1995.
She assumed the portfolio of the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Morocco in 2007 and chaired the Olympic Committee to evaluate the files of the cities nominated to host the Olympic Games in 2008.
On July 26, 2012, Nawal Al-Moutawakel was elected Vice-President of the International Olympic Committee, becoming the first Arab, Muslim and African woman to hold this position.
In 2015, French President François Hollande awarded her the Medal of Honor in recognition of her role as an influential Moroccan and African figure.
Nawal Al-Moutawakel remains a symbol of dedication and determination, and an inspiration for future generations of athletes in the Arab world.
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