Nawal El Moutawakel -Member of the International Olympic Committee extratime

Now it is time for the sport news. Today, an Olympic gold medallist, a

campaigner for women in sport and maybe even the first ever female

president of the International Olympic Committee. We are close to

the headquarters now. And next guest -- our next guest was

involved in a turning point for Welcome to this special edition.

Your gold medal at the LA Olympics was a triumph. Let me take you back

to the very beginning. In your love of sport and athletics, when did

you first recognise your talent? was a young teenager in Casablanca,

Morocco. I was born in a family of five brothers and sisters. My

father loved a judo and my mother played volleyball. Until very

accomplished. They like the sports. They encouraged us to police board.

Abbas energetic and dynamic. -- and to police board. I was energetic. I

used to compete with my brothers. This is how the love of sport came

to me. I was taken to a stadium in Casablanca. From that moment, I

understood that sport was meant for me and I was meant for sport.

father gave you every encouragement. The woman did not police poured in

your country. This would have been unusual for your father. He must

have had an unusual attitude towards sport. He was very open-

minded. He worked in a bank. My mother also worked in a bank. Both

of them wanted to raise their children with the real value of

sports. Honesty, friendship, love and determination. Sport key issue

passion. It can help you in your life. Dashboard gives you passion.

Me and my mother would speak openly about anything. For my father, it

was a master of his daughters would play sport at the same level. -- it

was a must that. Choosing the hurdles, for me it was the school

of life. It gathers all kind of qualities from start to finish.

do they say that? For the 400 -- before the 400 metre hurdles, I

tried the shot putt, the triathlon, throwing event, a jumping event and

the sprint event. I tried almost everything including cross country.

It hired the out. I chose the 400 hurdles because of my coach. At

that time, and the 70s, early 80s, it was an event for men. Five were

women excluded from the 400 metre hurdles? Why was it not an Olympic

event in the programme? My coach pushed me to do it. I went with a

lot of resistance. I thought I was too tall. You are not very tall for

hurdler. I am 5 ft 1. I wanted to run against the East Germans and

the Australians. I am from an African -- and Arab, Muslim country.

People would think there are a lot of barriers and cabbages. Tell us

about what change your life? Although I did not not get a

scholarship, I ended my high-school degree in Morocco. I flew to I was

State University. It was the longest trip of my life. My father

put me on the plane to fly from Casablanca to Chicago and drive to

I Will. The you had no hesitation? For him, it was a bit difficult. It

was the first time he would leave his daughter. It was an unknown

adventure. He has never been in the United States. I did not speak

English. I spoke a few words in English. I landed in the United

States. I was not used to the cold. My father put me on the plane and

seven days later he passed away. He was the man who really believed in

his daughter's capacity to go far. He was not there to see his team

being fulfilled. I used it as a way to motivate myself. -- dream. Every

day I would think of my father. "I have to win, I must win. I am

number one. I have to win for my father." Your father was killed in

a car crash. This was an inspiration for you. The memory of

your father. Very much so. He allowed his daughter to go out in

the streets and run. Go out in the stadiums and run. Have her passport

and run round the planet. It was not easy. Not to see him with me,

it was a tragic moment. I cried and I tried endlessly during the Games.

I was crying with joy. I was representing Muslim women and

feeling the joy of competing. He was not there with me to share my

story. That made me cry. You met the King in Morocco. King Hassan

the second. You said you would bring back a gold medal. And before

we left to the United States for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles,

he hosted as in the palace in Casablanca. I was the only female.

I was dressed in red. All of the men were dressed in fight or beige.

He could seamy at the back -- he could see me at the back of the

them in the Palace. He said "I am sure one of you, male or female,

will bring a gold." It seemed as if he was looking at me and thinking I

would bring the gold. I think he trusted I would bring it. When I

flew to Los Angeles, the entire team asked me if I heard the

message. How could I miss it? It was a lot of pressure put on me. It

was my day, my year, my Olympics in Los Angeles. When I finish, when I

crossed the finish line, he called me into the stadium. He spoke with

me and encouraged and congratulated me. He did it on behalf of millions

of Moroccans. I was doing my victory lap. He told me that -- I

wondered if Moroccans were watching me, if they were aware of my

victory. He insisted, didn't he, that every girl born on that they

should be named after you. Yes. Plenty of girls today and named

after me. I think it is a beautiful story. I think there was a special

documentary made by an American who came to Casablanca. He did an

announcement on the radio. All of the girl was born on that day, they

would all come to the US consulate and Casablanca. I was shocked to

see the huge number of people named after me that were born that day.

Then I realised that it was a beautiful story. Many people

telling me great memories. Great memories. It was a great time. 54.6

seconds. How do you remember the race?

Is it dabbler? The 54 seconds, it changed my life. -- Is it back

blah? It changed the life of me and many young women. On when I write

about, this is the title libel use. 54 seconds. You have not written a

book yet? In terms of the race itself, you were racing against an

American friend of years. She came second. Tell us the story of the

race. When you work on a race like that, the 400 hurdles, which is a

technical event, you dream about it on a daily basis. I could not sleep

any night. I would see myself running in slow motion from start

to finish. I would see myself sometimes falling, sometimes

winning Bugg I thought "this is the moment of your life." The race is

so quick. You have to concentrate. 80,000 spectators in the stadium

and I could not hear them. I was in my own world. Judie Brown from the

United States is a great friend of mine. Also, Christina from Romania.

Also, the favoured from India. I was the underdog. This was my day,

my event. Where there Tears For Your Father?

Yes. Lots of tears for my father. - - were at their tears for your

father? He was the one he used to collect every newspaper club.

Arabic newspapers, French newspapers. He got photographs of

his daughter. People wondered if I would win one day. He would tell me

before going to the States that I was an Arabic champion, an African

champion, and Mediterranean champion, a French champion and the

only title missing was the Olympic championship. People told me to

think of the best gifts. They come in small packages. Do not think you

cannot make it all the hurdles It was a moment that changed the

lives of tens of thousands of Muslim women in sport. What kind of

progress has been made? A lot of progress has been made. At the 1988

Olympic Games I could not compete because of surgery in my knees. We

had Hassiba Boulmerka who made it in the 1,500 metres. Who could

imagine Nigeria could produce an Olympic champion? -- Algeria. In

1982 we had athletes competing from Tunisia, Egypt. Women from Egypt

competed back in the 30s at the Olympic Games. That was outstanding

to see women from Egypt competing so early. You would concede that

progress has been patchy. Saudi Arabia, only this year they have

allowed two women to compete. Olympic Games will be historic in

our movement. London 2012. It is very 4th positive. We have two

women competing from Saudi Arabia, a woman competing from Qatar and

Brunei. In some countries fundamentalism is growing, there

might be a backlash against that attitude? I think sport has no

barriers. It is a language that has no colour, no religion... It is a

must. It is like breathing oxygen. I think it is something that I

carry with me in my DNA. This is what I will be promoting for the

rest of my life. I think every woman, every child, every goal has

the right to train and practise physical education. -- girl. How do

you count allegations from the hardliners that the participation

of women is immoral, it leaves them open to some version, services --

subversive Western corruption? -- some -- subversion. I do not agree

with that. I think sport teaches you so many things. It makes your

IQ better today than it was yesterday. It educates you and

makes sense in your life. You have been a sports minister with the

Moroccan government. You are a member of the IOC. How would you

describe your political style? is a question, maybe it will be

difficult to answer. You are a liberal? Sport has given me

everything. Remember the 54 seconds, the impact on my life. Every day of

my life, everything I do I want to do it for the sport. Sport made me

what I am today. I became what I am because of sport. Every energy of

my life is to work for the youth of this world. The youth are sometimes

having difficulties understanding who they are. They go to drugs.

They go to poverty because of violence, Missouri, AIDS. It is my

duty to hand down the Olympic torch to the younger generation who is

sometimes lost. -- misery. I am sorry to interrupt. Does this

philosophy making a future president of the IOC? Jacques Rogge

is going to retire next year. happy to sell the Olympic movement.

To sum up my philosophy, I am happy to be at the Service of the

movement that made me what I am today. Whether I am in a small

commission, Working Group, a networking group, I am what I am

because of the Olympics. You are not ruling it out. This is

something I'm happy to serve my movement. In what ever position.

When I won in 1984 I did not know I would make it this far. It gave me

so many things. So many lessons. It is selfish of me to turn my back on

the Olympic movement. It is difficult to be in a male-dominated

society. It is difficult. This philosophy that I'm talking about,

to apply it, it is very difficult. The IOC is dominated. Every single

organisation is male dominated. a woman who has broken through so

many barriers, what a breakthrough it would be if you were the first

woman to be the IOC president. continue the good work, you have

caught me by surprise. You are a member of the executive, you are

well respected. I think the president Jacques Rogge, what he is

doing, what he has done in the past regarding women's inclusion in the

movement, is something that is a must for the health and growth of a

movement. At the moment we are getting there. To have 50-50 would

be very good for a movement. Whoever takes the leadership in the

future I think this philosophy needs to be continued and respected.

I think it is important. remember the day after the vote, 52

people killed, at that point, did you think the IOC membership had

made the most terrible decision? always trusted London. No-one would

want anything to happen. You still Trust London? We still Trust London.

This will be the same statement from everybody else. Very briefly,

let's look forward to Rio. You have given them the hurry up. A large

body of work needs to be accomplished between now and 2016.

You are cracking the whip. As from 13th August, after 12th August the

Olympic flag will be given to the mayor of Rio from Boris Johnson. It

will be a very unique and strong moment for Rio to prepare for the

2016 Olympic Games. They are preparing for the World Cup as well.

All the media, or the international federations and Olympic Committee,

all the stakeholders will be going there on a regular basis to check

on the situation. They are beginning to plan for 2016. Rio

needs to be ready. Accommodation for the media, the athletes, the

tourists, for everyone. Regarding the sporting sites, the airport, I

think the next meeting after the Olympic Games will take place in

Rio next November. A good opportunity for the transfer of

knowledge. You must recall the rear is represented by hundreds of