Moroccan On Roll Since King’s Call

Last summer, he was carried off the track at the Atlanta Olympics, reduced to tears in the tunnel.

Hisham El Guerrouj’s bid for the gold medal was through. The Moroccan was accidentally tripped by record-holder Noureddine Morceli of Algeria in the 1,500-meter final, and his dreams went tumbling.

Minutes later, in the tunnel, El Guerrouj was handed a cell phone. On the line was a sports fan from back home - King Hassan II.

“After that call, it was another Hicham El Guerrouj who was born,” the 22-year-old runner said. “There is no similarity between the Hicham El Guerrouj before and after that call.”

Morocco’s head coach, Aziz Daouda, said his pupil came of age in those few minutes.

“He was just joking before,” he said. “Then he realized how important it all was.”

In a nation that often devours its athletes after a loss, the king had one message during his call.

“From the Moroccan view, you are the winner of the Olympics,” El Guerrouj quoted the monarch as saying.

It gave the lithe runner the motivation to carry on - and he’s been unstoppable since. Today, El Guerrouj and Morceli meet again in the 1,500 final at the world championships.

King Hassan II has long showed interest in sports and has been instrumental in getting Morocco’s track program in shape, luring money and sponsors to the sport.

Now the nation looks to El Guerrouj as the worthy successor to middle distance great Said Aouita, who dominated the sport a decade ago. And his coach knows where it all began.

Said Daouda: “The phone call from the king has saved him.”