Nouria Mérah-Benida (born 19 October 1970 in Algiers) is an Algerian former middle-distance runner best known for competing over 800 metres and 1500 metres.
Career highlights
Mérah-Benida rose to prominence at the end of the 1990s. At the 1999 All-Africa Games held in Johannesburg, she finished second in both the 800 m and the 1500 m, taking two silver medals. The following year she recorded the most notable result of her career at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, where she won the Olympic title in the women's 1500 m. In 2000 she also claimed a gold medal in the 1500 m and a silver in the 800 m at the African Championships.
Major achievements
- 1999 All-Africa Games (Johannesburg) — silver, 800 m; silver, 1500 m
- 2000 African Championships — silver, 800 m; gold, 1500 m
- 2000 Summer Olympics (Sydney) — gold, 1500 m
Mérah-Benida competed mainly in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Her Olympic victory remains the most prominent accomplishment of her athletic career.