Yahya Habeeb
Encyclopedia
Yahya Hassan Ibrahim Habeeb (born 1 April 1986) is a Saudi Arabia
n track and field
athlete who specialises in sprinting events. He was the gold medal
list over 100 metres
at the 2006 Asian Games
and represented Saudi Arabia at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics
. His best for the distance is 10.28 seconds.
He made his first appearance on the world stage at the age of fifteen, competing in the 100 metres
and 200 metres
events at the 2001 World Youth Championships in Athletics
. The following year he won the 100 m at the Gulf Cooperation Council Youth Championships and was the silver medallist at the Pan Arab Junior Championships. He reached the quarter-finals of the 100 m at the 2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics
. He rose to prominence alongside fellow Saudi sprinter Yahya Al-Gahes
, as Habeeb was the 100 m runner-up behind him at the 2003 World Youth Championships in Athletics
and then the 2004 Asian Junior Athletics Championships
.
Habeeb tested positive for the banned substance Prednisolone
on the Asian Grand Prix circuit in 2004 and as a result he received a public warning and his mark at the competition was disqualified. He ran at the 2004 World Junior Championships in Athletics
later that season and was a semi-finalist. After a quiet 2005, he set a personal best of 10.28 seconds in Doha
in May 2006. He went on to claim the national title and then won the 100 m at the 2006 Asian Games
, defeating Naoki Tsukahara
who was the pre-race favourite. He also helped the Saudi Arabian men to sixth place in the 4×100 metres relay.
He began 2007 with individual and relay wins over 100 m at the Arab Championships. He competed at the 2007 Asian Athletics Championships and the 2007 World Championships in Athletics
, but failed to progress beyond the qualifying rounds at either competition. He was chosen for the relay team at the 2007 Pan Arab Games
and won the gold medal alongside Moussa Al-Housaoui, Yahya Al-Gahes and Salem Mubarak Al-Yami. He ran in the 60 metres
at the 2007 Asian Indoor Games
but was disqualified in the semi-finals.
He made a handful of appearance in 2008, running in the United States
and Finland
, but did not compete internationally that year. He was a semi-finalist in the 100 m at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships
. He attempted to defend his title at the 2010 Asian Games
and gave his best performance in three years, running a time of 10.35 seconds, although that was only enough for fifth place. He was also part of the Saudi Arabian relay team which finished seventh that year.
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
n track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athlete who specialises in sprinting events. He was the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
list over 100 metres
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
at the 2006 Asian Games
2006 Asian Games
The 15th Asian Games, officially known as the XV Asiad, is Asia's Olympic-style sporting event that was held in Doha, Qatar from December 1 to December 15, 2006. Doha was the first city in its region and only the second in West Asia to host the games...
and represented Saudi Arabia at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics
2007 World Championships in Athletics
The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...
. His best for the distance is 10.28 seconds.
He made his first appearance on the world stage at the age of fifteen, competing in the 100 metres
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
and 200 metres
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
events at the 2001 World Youth Championships in Athletics
2001 World Youth Championships in Athletics
The 2001 World Youth Championships in Athletics was the second edition of the World Youth Championships in Athletics. It was held in Debrecen, Hungary from July 12 to July 15, 2001. -Boys:-Girls:-Medals table:...
. The following year he won the 100 m at the Gulf Cooperation Council Youth Championships and was the silver medallist at the Pan Arab Junior Championships. He reached the quarter-finals of the 100 m at the 2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics
2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2002 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Kingston, Jamaica from July 16 to July 21, 2002.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:...
. He rose to prominence alongside fellow Saudi sprinter Yahya Al-Gahes
Yahya Al-Gahes
Yahya Al-Gahes is a Saudi Arabian sprinter who specializes in the 100 metres.He won the 2003 World Youth Championships, finished fifth at the 2004 World Junior Championships and won the 2005 Asian Championships....
, as Habeeb was the 100 m runner-up behind him at the 2003 World Youth Championships in Athletics
2003 World Youth Championships in Athletics
The 2003 World Youth Championships in Athletics is the 2003 version of the World Youth Championships in Athletics. It was held in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada from the 9th to the 13th of July.-Boys:-Girls:-Medals table:-External links:*...
and then the 2004 Asian Junior Athletics Championships
Asian Junior Athletics Championships
The Asian Junior Athletics Championships are the Asian championships open for those of age according to junior. It is currently organized by the Asian Athletics Association.-Editions:-Men's records:-Women's records:-References:...
.
Habeeb tested positive for the banned substance Prednisolone
Prednisolone
Prednisolone is the active metabolite of prednisone, which is also used as a drug.-Uses:Prednisolone is a corticosteroid drug with predominant glucocorticoid and low mineralocorticoid activity, making it useful for the treatment of a wide range of inflammatory and auto-immune conditions such as...
on the Asian Grand Prix circuit in 2004 and as a result he received a public warning and his mark at the competition was disqualified. He ran at the 2004 World Junior Championships in Athletics
2004 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 2004 World Junior Championships in Athletics was the 2004 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Grosseto in Italy.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:-References:*. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2010-06-06....
later that season and was a semi-finalist. After a quiet 2005, he set a personal best of 10.28 seconds in Doha
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
in May 2006. He went on to claim the national title and then won the 100 m at the 2006 Asian Games
Athletics at the 2006 Asian Games
An Athletics competition was contested at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar from December 7 to December 12. Twenty-three events were contested for the men while 22 were on the slate for the women. Only the 3000 Meter Steeplechase was not contested for by the women...
, defeating Naoki Tsukahara
Naoki Tsukahara
is a Japanese sprinter who specialises in the 100 metres.Tsukahara represented Japan at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing where he competed at the 100 metre sprint and placed second in his first heat after Churandy Martina in a time of 10.39 seconds...
who was the pre-race favourite. He also helped the Saudi Arabian men to sixth place in the 4×100 metres relay.
He began 2007 with individual and relay wins over 100 m at the Arab Championships. He competed at the 2007 Asian Athletics Championships and the 2007 World Championships in Athletics
2007 World Championships in Athletics
The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...
, but failed to progress beyond the qualifying rounds at either competition. He was chosen for the relay team at the 2007 Pan Arab Games
Athletics at the 2007 Pan Arab Games
At the 2007 Pan Arab Games, the athletics events were held at the Military Academy Stadium in Cairo, Egypt from 21 to 24 November 2007. A total of 46 events were contested, of which 23 by male and 23 by female athletes. Morocco was the most successful nation in the competition, taking ten gold...
and won the gold medal alongside Moussa Al-Housaoui, Yahya Al-Gahes and Salem Mubarak Al-Yami. He ran in the 60 metres
60 metres
60 metres is a sprint event in track and field athletics. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes...
at the 2007 Asian Indoor Games
Indoor athletics at the 2007 Asian Indoor Games
Indoor athletics at the 2007 Asian Indoor Games was held in Macau East Asian Games Dome, Macau, China from 30 October to 1 November 2007.-Medal table:-Men:-Women:-60 metres:Round 1 – October 30Semi-final – October 30...
but was disqualified in the semi-finals.
He made a handful of appearance in 2008, running in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, but did not compete internationally that year. He was a semi-finalist in the 100 m at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships
2009 Asian Athletics Championships
The 18th Asian Athletics Championships were held in Guangzhou, China in 2009.- Track :- Field :- Track :- Field :- Medal table :-References:*. IAAF . Retrieved on 2011-07-09.*. IAAF . Retrieved on 2011-07-09....
. He attempted to defend his title at the 2010 Asian Games
Athletics at the 2010 Asian Games
Athletics at the 2010 Asian Games was held in Guangzhou, China from 21 to 27 November 2010. A total of 47 events were contested, 24 by men and 23 by women - matching the Olympic athletics programme...
and gave his best performance in three years, running a time of 10.35 seconds, although that was only enough for fifth place. He was also part of the Saudi Arabian relay team which finished seventh that year.