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Rabat – Moroccan-Spanish athlete Mohamed Katir won on Tuesday a silver medal after finishing second in the 5,000 meters final at the European Championships. The tournament is taking place between August 11 and 21 in Munich, Germany.
Katir finished the race in 13 minutes, 22 seconds, and 98 milliseconds, behind the gold medalist Norway’s Jacob Ingebrigsten, who recorded a time of 13 minutes, 21 seconds, and 13 milliseconds. Italy’s Yemanebrhan Crippa finished third with a time of 13 minutes, 24 seconds, and 83 milliseconds.
Nine minutes and 30 seconds into the race, French runner Hugo Hay, who was positioned between fourth and fifth place, fell to the ground and was unable to recover, finishing 19th in the race.
As soon as he crossed the finish line, Hay, who appeared visibly upset, went to Katir and accused him of pushing him.
In an interview following the race, the French athlete voiced his frustration, saying: “I am very angry. I followed the instructions … I have not made any mistakes .. I was well placed and he [Katir] comes and pushes me,” he lamented, demanding that Katir be disqualified.
Read also: Katir Reaffirms His Spanish Identity After Racist Remarks
The Moroccan-born holds impressive records in medium and long-distance running competitions. Katir is the 27th all-time fastest runner to ever compete at Golden Gala, an annual track and field event.
The runner won the record after completing 5,000 meters in a personal best time of 12 minutes, 50 seconds, and 79 milliseconds in June 2021.
Last month, Katir claimed a bronze medal in the 1,500 meters race at the World Athletics Championships held in Oregon, the United States.
Katir was born in 1998 in the Moroccan city of Ksar El Kebir but immigrated to Spain with his family when he was a young child. He received Spanish nationality in 2019, allowing him to compete under the Spanish flag since January 1, 2020.
