Nawal El Moutawakel (1997) - Hall of Fame

Nawal El Moutawakel

Nawal El Moutawakel

Track & Field
Casablanca, Morocco

Won the 1984 Olympic Gold Medal (at Los Angeles) in the inaugural women’s 400-meter hurdles race (personal-best 54.61)
First Moroccan woman and first woman from a Muslim majority nation to win an Olympic Gold Medal
Upon her Olympic victory, King Hassan II of Morocco called to offer congratulations and declare that all girls born the day of her victory would be named in her honor
Two-time All-American at ISU in 1984 winning the 400 hurdles and placing fourth in the 400
Four-time Big Eight champion, she became just the second woman to sweep the same event at the Texas, Kansas and Drake Relays in the same season
Named to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1998, she joined its Executive Board in 2008