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{{Infobox athlete
{{Infobox athlete
|name = Abdi Bile
|name = Abdi Bile
| image = Bile Abdi (482x321).jpg
|imagesize =
|imagesize =
|caption =
|caption = Athlete Abdi Bile
| sport = [[Track and field#Running|Track]]
| sport = [[Track and field#Running|Track]]
| event = [[800 metres|800m]], [[1500 metres|1500m]], [[Mile run|mile]], [[3000 metres|3000m]]
| event = [[800 metres|800m]], [[1500 metres|1500m]], [[Mile run|mile]], [[3000 metres|3000m]]

Revision as of 19:24, 21 March 2019

Abdi Bile
Athlete Abdi Bile
Personal information
NationalitySomali
Born (1962-12-28) 28 December 1962 (age 61)
Las Anod, Sool
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight75 kg (165 lb)
Sport
SportTrack
Event(s)800m, 1500m, mile, 3000m
College teamGeorge Mason
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)800m: 1:43.60[1]
1500m: 3:30.55[1]
Mile: 3:49.40[1]
Medal record
Men’s athletics
Representing  Somalia
World Championships in Athletics
Gold medal – first place 1987 Rome 1500 m
Bronze medal – third place 1993 Stuttgart 1500 m
Continental Cup
Gold medal – first place 1989 Barcelona 1500 m
African Championships
Silver medal – second place 1985 Cairo 1500 m

Abdi Bile (Somali: Cabdi Bille Cabdi, Arabic: عبد الله بلي عبد الله; born 28 December 1962) is a former middle distance runner. He holds the highest number of national records in athletics in Somalia across various disciplines.[2] He is currently Somalia's national record holder in nine athletic disciplines, and is thus far Somalia's most decorated athlete in history.[3]

In 1987, he became world champion in the 1500 metres, the first Somali to do so.[4] He defeated Britain's Sebastian Coe at the 1500m to win gold at the 1989 World Continental Cup. He also won silver at the same event in the 1985 African Championships in Cairo. In 1996 he represented Somalia at the 1996 Summer Olympics for the 1500 meters. His brother, Jama Bile, ran competitively for Northern Arizona University. His son Ahmed Bile runs for Georgetown University.

Early life

He was born in Las Anod, Somalia.[5] Abdi Bile grew up in a society where most of people were nomadic. He finished his high school in a school located in Erigavo. Abdi Bile started running when he first heard of the Somali runner Jamac Karacin who got scholarship into the US. This was when running became his hobby.[6] When Abdi was a kid he was very interested in football or soccer. Abdi Bile was a great runner but not the only runner in his family. There were many of his other siblings who were interested in running at that time.[4]

Running career

Bile won the 1500 m World Championship in 1987, running the final 800 m of the race in 1:46.00, the fastest final 800 m of any 1,500 metre race in history. He was a two-time Olympian (1984 and 1996) and dominated the event in the late 1980s. Bile was ranked first in the world at the mile distance in 1989. He was World Cup champion in the 1500 m in 1989[5] and two-time world Grand Prix final champion.

Bile graduated from George Mason University with a BSc in marketing management.[5] At George Mason, Bile was team captain and a two-time NCAA Division I 1,500 metre champion, winning his first title in 1985 (3:41.20) and the second in 1987 (3:35.79). He also won many conference titles and held the inter-collegiate 1500 m record for more than ten years.

He was coached by John Cook,[4] the former coach of 2008 Olympic 10,000 metre bronze medalist Shalane Flanagan. His career was riddled with injuries, and he missed the 1991 World Championships as well as the 1988 and 1992 Olympics because of such problems.[5] In 1996 he finished sixth in the Olympic 1500 m final.[5]

Achievements

Year Competition Venue Position Notes
1984 Olympic Games Los Angeles, United States 5th (quarter-finals) 800 metres
4th (heats) 1500 metres
1985 African Championships Cairo, Egypt 2nd 1500 m
1987 World Championships Rome, Italy 1st 1500 metres
1989 IAAF World Cup Barcelona, Spain 1st 1500 m
1993 World Championships Stuttgart, Germany 4th (heats) 800 m
3rd 1500 metres
IAAF Grand Prix Final London, United Kingdom 2nd 1500 m
1994 IAAF Grand Prix Final Paris, France 3rd 1500 m
1995 World Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 7th (heats) 1500 m
1996 Olympic Games Atlanta, United States 6th 1500 metres

Awards

Bile has won gold medals in the 1987 World Championships in 1987 at the 1500m. In 1989 he won the gold medal at the World Continental Cup in Barcelona at the 1500m in a time of 3:35.56. In 1987, he won first place at the NCAA Championships in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at the 1500m in a time of 3:35.79. In 1993, he won second place at the 1500m in the Grand Prix Final in London UK, in a time of 3:34.65. In the same year, he also won the bronze medal at the World Championships at 1500m in Stuttgart, Germany in a time of 3:35.96. At the 1985 African Championships in Athletics, he won silver at the 1500m.[7]

National records

Bile holds Somalia's national records in seven outdoor disciplines, namely the 800m, 1000m, 1500m, one mile, 2000m, 3000m and the 4x1500 metre relay as well as in two indoor disciples, namely the 1500m and the one mile, thus in a total of nine disciplines. The collapse of state institutions from 1990 onwards and injuries had prevented Bile from competing at the Olympics during his prime years.[3]

Personal life

Bile has traveled widely and has inspired many young people and helped several humanitarian organizations.[5] He is married, with two sons and daughter named Farhiya, born in 1995, Ahmed born 1993 and Mohamed born 2001. As a senior in high school, Ahmed won the Virginia state cross country title,[5] the 1000m title and 1600m title along with being a two-time New Balance All-American in the 800m.

Legacy

The largest stadium is Las Anod is named after him.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c IAAF. "Athlete profile for Abdi Bile".
  2. ^ Jones, Thomas W., et al. "Influence of a concurrent strength and endurance training intervention on running performance in adolescent endurance athletes: An observational study." (2018).
  3. ^ a b Rage, Deqo, and Samah Kahim. "Naiseus somalialaisessa kulttuurissa: muistelua moniaistisessa tilassa." (2013).
  4. ^ a b c Janofsky, Michael (8 May 1998). "OLYMPIC PROFILE: Abdi Bile; Running as a Nation Watches". Retrieved 13 March 2013.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Abdi Bile Returns to Somalia Running Times
  6. ^ Jama, Abdirasak Ahmed (29 April 2012). "Tarikhda Cabdi Bile Cabdi oo ah ordaagii caanka ahaa ee Soomaaliya". Allgedo News Media Network (in Somali).
  7. ^ https://www.iaaf.org/athletes/somalia/abdi-bile-261
  8. ^ http://www.somalsports.com/index.php/77-somal/289-laascaanood-garoonka-casriga-ah-ee-abdi-bile-loogu-magacdaray-oo-xadhiga-laga-jaray
Olympic Games
Preceded by Flagbearer for  Somalia
Los Angeles 1984
Atlanta 1996
Succeeded by