Ghada Shouaa

Ghada Shouaa (Arabic: غادة شعاع; born September 10, 1972) is a retired Syrian heptathlete. At the 1996 Summer Olympics, she won her country's first and only Olympic gold medal.[2] She was also a World and Asian heptathlon champion. She is considered one of the best Asian and Arab female athletes of all time.[1] She was a Syrian flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.[3]

Ghada Shouaa
Personal information
NationalitySyrian
Born (1972-09-10) September 10, 1972
Mhardeh, Hama Governorate, Syria
Height1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight63 kg (139 lb)
Sport
Country Syria
SportAthletics
Event(s)Heptathlon, Long jump
ClubAl-Thawra SC, Jalaa SC
Turned pro1991[1]
Coached byImad Sarraj[1]
Retired2001[1]
Achievements and titles
World finals1995 – 1st
1999 – 3rd
Olympic finals1996 – 1st
Highest world rankingHeptathlon: 1 (1995, 1996)
Personal best(s)
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Syria
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1996 Atlanta Heptathlon
World Championships
Gold medal – first place1995 GothenburgHeptathlon
Bronze medal – third place1999 SevilleHeptathlon
Goodwill Games
Bronze medal – third place1994 Saint PetersburgHeptathlon
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place1994 HiroshimaHeptathlon
Asian Championships
Gold medal – first place 1993 Manila Heptathlon
Silver medal – second place 1991 Kuala Lumpur Heptathlon
Mediterranean Games
Silver medal – second place1993 NarbonneHeptathlon

She has represented Syria in her two strongest multi-event disciplines, the individual high jump and long jump events. She holds the Syrian high jump records with 1.87 m outdoors (1996), in javelin with 54.82 m (1999) in 200 m with 23.78 (1996), in long jump with 6.77 (1996) and in shot put with 16.25 (1999).[4]

Shuaa's heptathlon results include finishing 25th at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, 24th at the 1991 World Championships, third at the 1999 World Athletics Championships and first at the 1994 Asian Games. She is also multiple gold medalist at the Arab Athletics Championships. With a performance of 6942 points at the Hypo-Meeting, which moved her into the world all-time Top 25 and she went down in history as the best Asian and Arab heptathlete.[5]

Shouaa's career coincided with those of older compatriot, three-time Olympic champion and four-time World champion legend Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Olympic champion Denise Lewis.[1]

Early life

She was born in the small Syrian city of Mhardeh in the Hama Governorate.[6] Growing up in rural Syria, Ghada Shouaa first realised her sporting potential at the age of 12 when she managed to catch a rabbit that had escaped from the hands of an old man in her village. She was soon harnessing her natural speed, competing in cross-country races.[4] However, it was in basketball that she made her initial foray into the world of elite sport. She played for the Syrian national team for a few years, but then decided to compete in athletics.[1]

Career

In 1991, Shouaa took part in a competitive heptathlon in Aleppo for the first time and set a new Syrian national record with a points tally of 4,010.[4] She was immediately sent to the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo, where she placed last.[6] She concluded her first athletics season with a silver medal in the 1991 Asian Athletics Championships.[4]

Shouaa debuted at the Olympics in the 1992 Barcelona Games, placing 25th in spite of an injury. Her breakthrough did not come until 1995, when she won the important heptathlon meet in Götzis, scoring 6715 points. This boosted her to one of the favourites for the title at the 1995 World Athletics Championships, held in Gothenburg. After co-favorite Sabine Braun dropped out with an injury, Shouaa won the title with a comfortable margin.[6]

The following season, Shouaa again won the 1996 Hypo-Meeting, bringing the still-standing Asian record to 6942 points. In Atlanta, three months later, she confirmed her status as the best heptathlete at the time, winning Syria's first Olympic gold medal.[6]

A serious injury ruined the following season, and she was unable to make a serious comeback until 1999, when she placed third at the World Championships behind Eunice Barber.[6] Shouaa attempted to defend her Olympic title in Sydney, but she again became injured and did not even finish the first event.[6] After this disappointment, she decided to retire from athletics. After 2001, she was declared the best Syrian athlete of the 20th century.

Civil War in Syria

During a visit to Syria in 2013 or 2014 in the midst of civil war, Shouaa appeared in a picture with a heavy machine gun while accompanying the National Defence Forces, a branch of Syrian Armed Forces.[7] In a speech, Shouaa greeted the Syrian Arab Army, saying the army's motto 'Homeland, Honor, Honesty' represents "each and every honest Syrian from which he/she draws the ability for steadfastness and making achievements for Syria's sake".[8] She now lives in Germany.[9]

Personal bests

Seasonal bests

Competition record
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
Representing  Syria
1991 World Championships Tokyo, Japan 24th Heptathlon 5066 pts
Asian Championships Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2nd Heptathlon 5425 pts
Arab Championships Latakia, Syria 1st High jump 1.60 m
1st Long jump 5.50 m
1st Javelin throw 41.92 m
1992 Olympic Games Barcelona, Spain 25th Heptathlon 5278 pts
1993 Mediterranean Games Narbonne, France 8th Long jump 6.13 m
2nd Heptathlon 6168 pts
World Championships Stuttgart, Germany – Heptathlon DNF
Arab Championships Latakia, Syria 1st 800 m 2:14.7
1st 100 m hurdles 14.44 s
1st High jump 1.75 m
1st Long jump 6.07 m
1st Javelin throw 50.54 m
Asian Championships Manila, Philippines 1st Heptathlon 6259 pts
1994 Goodwill Games St. Petersburg, Russia 3rd Heptathlon 6361 pts
Asian Games Hiroshima, Japan 1st Heptathlon 6360 pts
1995 Hypo-Meeting Gotzis, Austria 1st Heptathlon 6715 pts
World Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 1st Heptathlon 6651 pts
Arab Championships Cairo, Egypt 1st High jump 1.80 m
1st Long jump 6.64 m
1st Javelin throw 53.72 m
1996 Hypo-Meeting Gotzis, Austria 1st Heptathlon 6942 pts
Olympic Games Atlanta, United States 1st Heptathlon 6780 pts
1999 Pan Arab Games Amman, Jordan 1st High jump 1.78 m
2nd Long jump 6.19 m
2nd Shot put 16.25 m
1st Javelin throw 55.14 m
World Championships Seville, Spain 3rd Heptathlon 6500 pts
2000 Olympic Games Sydney, Australia – Heptathlon DNF

Honours

See also

References
  1. Christel Saneh (15 September 2021). "Ghada Shouaa: The only Olympic gold medallist for Syria". World Athletics. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  2. "Ghada Shouaa". Olympics.com. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  3. Syria. Olympics at Sport-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Accessed 25 October 2011.
  4. "Biography of Ghada Shouaa". olympics.com. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  5. "Götzis records and winners of all-times". www.decathlon2000.com. 2010-12-02. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
  6. "Ghada Shouaa". Damascus-Online.com. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-06-22.
  7. "بعد أن "طفشها" نظام الأسد... غادة شعاع تتحول من بطلة أولمبية إلى "رامية دوشكا" في الدفاع الوطني (صور) | عكس السير دوت كوم". www.aksalser.com.
  8. "Olympic champion Shouaa: I returned home to work for a brighter future for #Syria". Syrian Arab News Agency SANA – Facebook. 16 August 2013. Archived from the original on 2022-02-26.
  9. "Syrian sports heroine laments her country's ill treatment". Arab News. 30 August 2009. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
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