Noor Hussain Al-Malki

Noor Hussain Al-Malki in 2012

Noor Hussain Al-Malki (born 1994) is an Arab sprinter, and a member of the Qatari Olympic Team for the London 2012 games.[1] By competing in London she became one of the first ever female athletes to represent the country at an Olympic Games.[2]

Malki was born in Doha on 21 October 1994,[3] the youngest of six brothers and five sisters. She weighs 44 kilograms (97 lb) and is 1.55 metres (5 ft 1 in) tall.[4] She began training as an athlete in 2008, under the guidance of Tunisian coach and former international middle-distance runner Naima Ben Amara. Although at first she lacked consistency in her training, she soon built a strong relationship with her coach, and became the fastest female Qatari athlete, winning the Qatar Association of Athletics Federation’s (QAAF) ‘Best Female Athlete’ in 2010-11.[2] Malki considers fellow Qatari Femi Ogunode to be her sporting idol, and hopes to "become an idol" for other Qatari girls in the future.[4]

At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Malki suffered a pulled hamstring steps out of the starting blocks. Her race ended in sudden pain on the track, eventually taken off in a wheelchair.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Qatar Olympic Committee (11 Jul 2012). "Al-Hamad confirmed as Qatar’s flag-bearer at 2012 Olympic Games". Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Georgiotis, Vassilis; Laurel International (23 Apr 2012). "Doha 2020: Noor lights her Olympic dream for Qatar at London 2012". SportsFeatures.com. Retrieved 12 July 2012. She will earn her 15 minutes of fame when becomes Qatar’s first female Olympian
  3. ↑ "London 2012 Athlete Profile". www.london2012.com. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Qatari female teen to break barriers at Olympics". Times of India. 10 May 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  5. ↑ "Ready for London". Gulf Times. Retrieved 28 July 2012.