NEW YORK CITY MARATHON

November 5, 2000

Abdelkhader El Mouaziz

ABDELKHADER EL MOUAZIZ: He said that he was just in Sydney and was recovering and relaxed training, of course and when he started today, in the beginning, he felt that he was too slow, the pace; that's why he went in front to make his own race.

ABDELKHADER EL MOUAZIZ: He said that they were fast in a very difficult race, and in the meantime, the park at the end was very difficult; that's why he wanted the gap, and the wind -- 12 kilometers to go, he was confident that he was going to win.

ABDELKHADER EL MOUAZIZ: Yeah, about eight miles.

ABDELKHADER EL MOUAZIZ: When he came back from Sydney, directly from the airport he went straight to the altitude center and he was just trying to recover from Sydney. That's why I remember, that met with Roberts and she said that you will run the marathon after the Olympics and I told you that we must win the race in Sydney and then after -- I think on the 8th, he knew if I was ready -- on the way back because Sydney was very crowded that day and then he called me back on the 9th to say, okay, New York.

ABDELKHADER EL MOUAZIZ: It is in Morocco.

ABDELKHADER EL MOUAZIZ: Yesterday we discussed it and the pace, he knew that to be ready that the others were coming at the end and that's why when the end came he was confident that in the end (inaudible).

ABDELKHADER EL MOUAZIZ: It was clear, after we watched back.

ABDELKHADER EL MOUAZIZ: He said that the wind, he felt the wind in a group, he felt the wind, but alone he felt the wind but he doesn't like much the wind. He said that if the park at the end was not like that, without the wind he would have run a very fast time today. He would have had a very good time at the end.

ABDELKHADER EL MOUAZIZ: It's true, Sydney, seventh place, it was motivating him a lot here because in Sydney he was ready to run very -- and they made -- he made a technical, big mistake in the race, and that is why he was really disappointed and he said that, "I have to win New York, try to win New York, in order to clear myself."

ABDELKHADER EL MOUAZIZ: The technical mistake was that he didn't make his race, that's what he said. There was no wind, it was perfect, but, the reason Sydney wasn't perfect for him was because Kenya -- the guy who was second, third -- it was very, very good. But there were the others and he watched the few guys going, and so when he saw it was late he came back on them and he remained in the middle, 50-70 middles, staying in the middle, no wind alone, and that's why it is very difficult to run in the wind. That's the mistake. Follow at the right moment.

ABDELKHADER EL MOUAZIZ: Even though he was not running a marathon it was easy to do the same type of races -- it means going out in the field. And of course, that's the way to run, when it is right, don't make any mistakes. That's why I said that he was confident in himself, because this is the way like he used to run.

ABDELKHADER EL MOUAZIZ: No, you have not understood. He went directly from the airport to -- he didn't go back home. He went directly to the altitude center. Of course, the reason was just to run here. You have to run a marathon -- he ran a marathon in Sydney. He told me, no problem, I am not going to blow off this marathon, and without the medal -- that's when he said to me that I am running in New York.

ABDELKHADER EL MOUAZIZ: First of all, it is the King of Morocco, and I'm sure we'll hear from him tonight. The King of Morocco is Mohammed VI, he is the first sportsman (inaudible).