Ghada Shouaa (; born September 10, 1972) is a retired Syrian heptathlete. At the 1996 Summer Olympics, she won her country's first and only Olympic gold medal. She was also a World and Asian heptathlon champion. She is considered one of the best Asian and Arab female athletes of all time.
She has represented Syria in her two strongest multi-event disciplines, the individual high jump and long jump events. She holds the Syrian high jump records with 1.87 m outdoors (1996), in javelin with 54.82 m (1999) in 200 m with 23.78 (1996), in long jump with 6.77 (1996) and in shot put with 16.25 (1999).
Shouaa's heptathlon results include finishing 25th at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, 24th at the 1991 World Championships, third at the 1999 World Athletics Championships and first at the 1994 Asian Games. She is also multiple gold medalist at the Arab Athletics Championships. With a performance of 6942 points at the Hypo-Meeting, which moved her into the world all-time Top 25 and she went down in history as the best Asian and Arab heptathlete.
Shouaa's career coincided with those of older compatriot, three-time Olympic champion and four-time World champion legend Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Olympic champion Denise Lewis. Growing up in rural Syria, Ghada Shouaa first realised her sporting potential at the age of 12 when she managed to catch a rabbit that had escaped from the hands of an old man in her village. She was soon harnessing her natural speed, competing in cross-country races. However, it was in basketball that she made her initial foray into the world of elite sport. She played for the Syrian national team for a few years, but then decided to compete in athletics.
Career
In 1991, Shouaa took part in a competitive heptathlon in Aleppo for the first time and set a new Syrian national record with a points tally of 4,010. She was immediately sent to the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo, where she placed last.
In a speech, Shouaa greeted the Syrian Arab Army, saying the army's motto 'Homeland, Honor, Honesty' represents "each and every honest Syrian from which he/she draws the ability for steadfastness and making achievements for Syria's sake". She now lives in Germany.
Personal bests
- 100 metres hurdles: 13.72 s
- Long jump: 6.77 m NR
- High jump: 1.87 m NR
- 200 m: 23.78 s NR
- Shot put: 16.25 m NR
- Javelin throw: 54.82 m NR
- 800 m: 2:13.59 min
- Heptathlon: 6942 AR, NR (still currently #9 all time, 342 pts behind the world record)
Competition record
{|
|-
!colspan="6"|Representing
|-
|rowspan=5|1991
|World Championships
|Tokyo, Japan
|24th
|Heptathlon
|5066 pts
|-
|Asian Championships
|Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
|bgcolor=silver|2nd
|Heptathlon
|5425 pts
|-
|rowspan=3|Arab Championships
|rowspan=3|Latakia, Syria
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|High jump
|1.60 m
|-
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|Long jump
|5.50 m
|-
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|Javelin throw
|41.92 m
|-
|1992
|Olympic Games
|Barcelona, Spain
|25th
|Heptathlon
|5278 pts
|-
|rowspan=9|1993
|rowspan=2|Mediterranean Games
|rowspan=2|Narbonne, France
|8th
|Long jump
|6.13 m
|-
|bgcolor=silver|2nd
|Heptathlon
|6168 pts
|-
|World Championships
|Stuttgart, Germany
| –
|Heptathlon
|DNF
|-
|rowspan=5|Arab Championships
|rowspan=5|Latakia, Syria
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|800 m
|2:14.7
|-
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|100 m hurdles
|14.44 s
|-
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|High jump
|1.75 m
|-
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|Long jump
|6.07 m
|-
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|Javelin throw
|50.54 m
|-
|Asian Championships
|Manila, Philippines
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|Heptathlon
|6259 pts
|-
|rowspan=2|1994
|Goodwill Games
|St. Petersburg, Russia
|bgcolor=cc9966|3rd
|Heptathlon
|6361 pts
|-
|Asian Games
|Hiroshima, Japan
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|Heptathlon
|6360 pts
|-
|rowspan=5|1995
|Hypo-Meeting
|Gotzis, Austria
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|Heptathlon
|6715 pts
|-
|World Championships
|Gothenburg, Sweden
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|Heptathlon
|6651 pts
|-
|rowspan=3|Arab Championships
|rowspan=3|Cairo, Egypt
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|High jump
|1.80 m
|-
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|Long jump
|6.64 m
|-
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|Javelin throw
|53.72 m
|-
|rowspan=2|1996
|Hypo-Meeting
|Gotzis, Austria
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|Heptathlon
|6942 pts
|-
|Olympic Games
|Atlanta, United States
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|Heptathlon
|6780 pts
|-
|rowspan=5|1999
|rowspan=4|Pan Arab Games
|rowspan=4|Amman, Jordan
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|High jump
|1.78 m
|-
|bgcolor=silver|2nd
|Long jump
|6.19 m
|-
|bgcolor=silver|2nd
|Shot put
|16.25 m
|-
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|Javelin throw
|55.14 m
|-
|World Championships
|Seville, Spain
|bgcolor=cc9966|3rd
|Heptathlon
|6500 pts
|-
|2000
|Olympic Games
|Sydney, Australia
| –
|Heptathlon
|DNF
|}
Honours
- 1995: Prix Monique Berlioux
- 1995–1996: Women's Heptathlon Best Year Performance
See also
- List of Syrian people