Saif Saaeed Shaheen
Saif Saaeed Shaheen (Arabic سيف سعيد شاهين Saif Saeed Shahin, DMG Saif Sa ʿ īd Sahin; birth name Stephen Cherono; * October 15, 1982 in Keiyo ) is a Kenyan long-distance runner origin, a citizen of Qatar since 2002. Particularly well known he was through his world championship victory and a world record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
From a young age he has enjoyed success in athletics. He became World Junior Champion in 2000 m steeplechase ( 5:31,89 min) in 1999 under the name Stephen Cherono. In Paris in 2003 and 2005 in Helsinki, he became world champion in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Shaheen is since 2004 the world record holder in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. In Brussels, he managed the distance in 7:53,62 min.
He has a contest weight of 64 kg at a height of 1.77 meters. Since older brother Abraham Cherono is also a successful hurdler and was among others the world champion in cross-country running.
Change of citizenship
In 2002, he decided to continue to start for the Gulf state of Qatar. He changed nationality and changed his name to Saif Shaheen Saaeed. Many observers see behind the changing financial reasons. Allegations that he had received an amount up to one million dollars for this change, he rejected.
As a motive for the change of nationality by the hardness of the Kenyan Knockouts is considered ahead of World Championships and Olympic Games, where many hopeful athletes can not enforce.
The Kenyan government criticized Shaheen change sharply. The President Mwai Kibaki said in a speech before the World Athletics Championships 2005:. " Let us resist the temptation to change our citizenship of financial profit motive " Even the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Jacques Rogge expressed concern: "It is bad if countries or organizations want to buy athlete for money. "
Athletes like Kiptanui, former world record holder in the steeplechase, on the other hand expressed understanding for Shaheen's step and referred to the poor living conditions for top athletes in Kenya.
The IOC locked Shaheen for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and adopted a regulation that prohibits athletes for a period of 3 years to participate in an international competition where they had previously started for another country in such a competition. Although this rule can be ignored in the case of consent of an athlete and the two associations involved in Shaheen's case, however, refused the Kenyan athletics federation to agree to a start in Athens.