Information about Saif Saaeed Shaheen

Medal record
Men’s athletics
World Championships
Gold	2003 Paris	3000 m steeplechase
Gold	2005 Helsinki	3000 m steeplechase

Saif Saaeed Shaheen (Arabic: سيف سعيد شاهين) formerly Stephen Cherono (born October 15, 1982 in Keiyo, Kenya) is a long distance track athlete now representing Qatar. His older brother Abraham Cherono is also a steeplechase runner.

Background

Saif Saaeef Shaheen was born and raised in Kenya, showing athletic ability from a young age. He initially made his mark on the international stage with a win at World Youth Games in 1999 over the 2000 metre steeplechase. He went on to become the world champion over the 3000 metre steeplechase course in 2003 and again in 2005.

He currently holds the world record for 3000 metre steeplechase in a time of 7:53:62 set in 2004 in Brussels and is considered the pre-eminent steeplechase athlete in the world. Shaheen possesses a powerful finish and notably defeated rival Ezekiel Kemboi in a dramatic final in 2003.

Move to Qatar

Despite Shaheen's achievements on the track, he is most notable for his move from Kenya to Qatar in 2003. Changing his name from Stephen Cherono to Saif Saaeed Shaheen, the former Stephen Cherono was reported to have received up to $1 million to change his citizenship. Shaheen has denied this.

The defection was deeply unpopular with the Kenyan Government, President Mwai Kibaki made a public speech before the 2003 World Championships that included the statement "Let us resist the temptation to change our citizenship for financial gains."

Sympathy has been expressed for Shaheen's move. The previous holder of the 3000 metre steeplechase world record, Kenyan Moses Kiptanui stating "We have seen a lot of athletes who were running in the 1968 Olympics or 1974 until maybe last year, some of them, they are living in a very, very sparse state. They are very poor despite the fact they have done great things for this country,"

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge has also raised concerns about athletes moving between countries, stating that, "What is bad is countries or organizations wanting to buy athletes just for the money."

Repercussions

Shaheen himself felt the repercussions of the defection, as he was barred from competing in the 2004 Olympic Games. This was due to an IOC rule that athletes may not compete in international events for a period of three years subsequent to competing in an international event for a different country. This rule may be waived in cases where the athlete and the governing athletics bodies from the two countries involved are willing to forego the penalty. In the case of Saif Saaeed Shaheen, the Kenyan Athletics Association was not willing to forego the penalty, and he was barred from the Olympics. The 3000 metre steeplechase was won by Ezekiel Kemboi.

Shaheen's move is a prominent example of increasing globalization in athletics. In addition to winning over Shaheen, Qatar has also been successful in persuading a number of other athletes, particularly Kenyan athletes, to switch allegiances, including 5000 metre athlete Albert Chepkurui. Fellow Gulf State Bahrain has also been successful in persuading high-profile athletes to change nationalities, most notably in the case of middle distance runner Rashid Ramzi from Morocco.

Though athletes had been switching nationalities for years before Stephen Cherono went to Qatar, Saif Saaeef Shaheen represents a separate category because there are no apparent motivations for his switch of allegiance beyond financial gain. This is in contrast, for example, to the politically motivated change of Zola Budd, or the marriage and emigration issues that led Wilson Kipketer to compete for Denmark.

Achievements

• Current 3000 metre steeplechase world record holder
• World 3000 metre steeplechase champion 2003
• World 3000 metre steeplechase champion 2005
• World Youth 2000 metre steeplechase champion 1999

External links

• *IAAF profile for Saif Saaeed Shaheen
• Pace Sports Management
• Voice of America article 2005
• Legal Affairs article 2004