Algeria in the Olympic Games: much ado about nothing

The Algerian delegation which takes part in the Beijing Olympic Games counts among the most important ever with some 70 athletes, who will try to wash away the disastrous participation in Athens games, from the memory of millions of Algerians.

• Despite its 11th participation, the results in terms of medals were well bellow expectations since the total number of medals garnered so far do not exceed four in gold and è in bronze.
• Algeria’s first participation in 1964 was rather symbolic, followed four years after in Mexico were the boxer Labyadh who was eliminated in the first bout against the Zambian opposite number.
• Boulmerka: Barcelona’s queen
• Just a year after the historic world Athletics Championships in Tokyo, crowned by two gold medals in the 1,500 metres competition for Boulmerka and Morceli, Algeria was ranked at the 36th position in Barcelona’s Olympic Games with a gild medal in the 1,500 m competition for Boulmerka and a bronze one in boxing for Behari.
• Atlanta 1996; best of the best
• The dream came true for the Algerian Athlete Noureddine Morceli in Atlanta’s games where he snatched the gold medal in the 1,500 m competition beating his Moroccan rival, Al Guerroudj in addition to the historic god medal in boxing for the late Soltani as well as a bronze one for Beharri, placing Algeria at the 33rd position worldwide.
• Sydney’s Olympic Games in 2000 saw the last Algerian worth mentioning participation, with a gold medal for Benida Merrah in the 1,500m competition and three bronze medals for Said Guerni Djabir in the 800 m, Mebarek soltani in boxing and Abderrehmane Hammad in high jump.