Khalid Skah

Khalid Skah

Skah in London in 2012
Medal record
Men’s Athletics
Representing  Morocco
Olympic Games
	1992 Barcelona	10,000 m
World Championships
	1995 Gothenburg	10,000 m
	1991 Tokyo	10,000 m
Mediterranean Games
	1993 Narbonne	10,000 m

Khalid Skah (Arabic: خالد سكاح‎‎) (born January 29, 1967) is a Moroccan track and field athlete, winner of 10,000 metres at the 1992 Summer Olympics.

Born in Midelt, Morocco, Khalid Skah established himself first as a good cross country runner by winning the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 1990 and 1991.

His first major tournament on track was 1991 World Championships where he at first won a bronze in 10,000 m and then finished sixth at the 5000 m run. This was a disappointing outcome for Skah as, earlier in the season, he had won the 10000 m race in Oslo against a very strong field and had emerged as one of the favourites for the finals in Tokyo. However, for the 10 000 m final Richard Chelimo and the eventual world champion, Moses Tanui (both of Kenya) employed some very elaborate tactics and worked as a team. By the time of the 5000 m final Skah was probably tired. Yobes Ondieki (Kenya) who won the gold medal over 5000 m had expected Skah to be his major rival.

At the Barcelona Olympics, Khalid Skah had a long duel with Richard Chelimo from Kenya in the 10 000 m. When they were lapping another Moroccan Hammou Boutayeb, the latter interfered with Chelimo and Skah went on to win a second ahead of the Kenyan. After the race Skah was accused of receiving undue assistance from Boutayeb and was disqualified, but was later reinstated.^[1] During the presentation ceremony, held the next day, Skah was loudly booed by the crowd as he received his medal; Chelimo received a standing ovation.

In 1993 Skah won the 5000 m race at the prestigious meeting in Zurich. However, he finished fifth in 5000 m at the 1993 World Championships. He ran his only world record in 2 miles (8:12.17) on the same season. He won the 1994 World Semi-Marathon Championships and finished second in 10,000 m at the 1995 World Championships.

Skah's last major international tournament was 1996 Summer Olympics, where he finished seventh in 10 000 m. In 1995, Skah was given Norwegian citizenship, where he lived and trained with athletes club B.U.L. After that, the Moroccan Athletics Association banned him from international competitions. Skah was reinstated in 2001 after which he tried a come-back to re-establish himself as one of the world's best long distance runners, finishing tenth in the World Half Marathon Championships that year.

Child custody case

Khalid Skah married Norwegian interior designer Anne Cecilie Hopstock after his Barcelona triumph, and they have two children. The marriage ended in divorce after the family relocated to Morocco in 2006.

Skah lost a custody battle with his former wife in Norwegian courts two years later, yet failed to return the children. He is indicted on kidnapping, threats and domestic disturbance charges in Norway.^[2] By 2009, Norwegian authorities had not accomplished to serve Skah any verdict.^[3]

The two children of Skah and Cecilie Hopstock fled Morocco in July 2009. The Norwegian embassy's alleged improper sheltering of the dual-citizenship children during their escape has led to a diplomatic dispute between the two countries.^[4][5] Skah issued a reward and filed for custody in Morocco. The former track champion maintains his innocence, claims the children were abducted^[6] and asserts that armed Norwegian commandos intruded into his home.^[7] Hopstock later confirmed she had hired off-duty naval rangers to help her sail her children out of Moroccan waters.^[8] In 2013 media said that "Bolle and one of the other men still were working in the Norwegian Armed Forces at the time [of the abduction], but no disciplinary action was leveled at them".^[9]

On 19 June 2013, Skah was arrested at Orly airport in Paris ^[10] On 21 June 2013 he was released and ordered not to leave Paris until further notice. In April 2014 a French court refused a Norwegian extradition request on the grounds that the diplomatic dispute between Morocco and Norway would mean he would not get a fair trial there.^[11]

Personal life

Skah's sister is married to the Finnish runner Janne Holmén and lives in Uppsala, Sweden.

References

Khalid Skah profile at IAAF