Nawal El Moutawakel

Nawal El Moutawakel (Arabic نوال المتوكل, DMG Nawal al - Mutawakkil, and Nawal El Moutawakil; born April 15, 1962 in Casablanca) is a former Moroccan athlete and Olympic champion who currently acts as a politician.

El Moutawakel won at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles as the first African and first Muslim woman in the history of the Games a gold medal. The student of Iowa State University won a complete surprise the first time included in the Olympic program 400 - meter hurdles. The Moroccan King Hassan II declared that all girls of his country, who were born on the day of the victory of El Moutawakel, should wear in her honor her name.

In 1993, she called the Course Féminine de Casablanca from life, with about 30,000 participants one of the largest women's sporting events is now worldwide. In 1995 she became a member of the International Association of Athletics Federations ( IAAF), and since 1998 she is a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). In 2002 she founded the NGO Association Marocaine Sport & Développement. From 1997 to 1998 she was State Secretary in the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the country, in October 2007 she was transferred to lead this ministry.

At a size of 1.62 m El Moutawakel had a competition weight of 50 kg. She is married and mother of two children.

Honors

• 2010: Laureus World Sports Award for Lifetime Achievement