Abdellatif Abuhif

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Abdellatif Chamis Abuhif , also Abdellatief Abouheif or Abdel Latif Abu Heif , ( Arabic عبد اللطيف خميس أبو هيف; *  September 30, 1929 in Alexandria ; † April 23, 2008 ibid) was an Egyptian open water swimmer . In 2001 he was voted "Marathon Swimmer of the Century".

Swimming career

Abdellatif Abuhif was born in Alexandria as the eighth of 15 children of a teacher and member of parliament. His passion for swimming was sparked by the films with Johnny Weissmüller , and he won his first trophy when he was nine. In 1951 he became the third Egyptian to swim across the English Channel . In recognition of this achievement, King Faruq sent him to Great Britain for training , where he studied at Eton College and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst . He then returned to Egypt and entered the army , where he achieved the rank of colonel .

Between 1953 and 1972 Abuhif, nicknamed Nile Crocodile , completed around 70 international competitions in open water swimming, also known as marathon swimming , over distances between 30 and 80 kilometers. In 1964, 1965 and 1968 he was the winner of a racing series in Canada , the United States , Italy and South America , which was organized by the Marathon Swimming Federation . He won most of these 70 races, and only twelve times came in worse than third. He swam three times through the English Channel, setting a new record once, as well as through Lac Saint-Jean , from Capri to Naples , through the Nile , the Seine and many other bodies of water.

In 1963 Abuhif crossed Lake Michigan over a distance of 60 miles in 34 hours and 45 minutes, with the water temperature only about 12 degrees. He should have replaced himself with another swimmer, who had to give up after a few hours. In 1970 he swam down the Río Paraná in Argentina over 458 kilometers in 60 hours. Because of these two achievements, it belongs to the 24-Hour Club , a group of swimmers who have completed races with a duration longer than 24 hours.

Honors

In 1964 Abuhif was inducted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame , in 1998 into the International Swimming Hall of Fame , which called him the "greatest marathon swimmer in sporting history", and in 2001 he was elected "Marathon Swimmer of the Century". Because marathon swimming was a popular sport in Egypt at the time, it is a national hero after whom streets and buildings are named. The pools at Gezira Sporting Club , the oldest and most exclusive sports club in Egypt, are named after him, as is a beach in his hometown.

Outside of Egypt, however, his name is only known in professional circles: “ Had he been North American or European, Abu Heif would almost surely be far better known than he is today. ”(German:“ Had he been a North American or a European, Abuhif would most likely be much better known than he is today. ”)

Personal

Abdellatif Abuhif played the piano and spoke six languages. He was about 1.80 meters tall, weighed around 100 kilograms at competition times, had a set on his stomach and was known for his great appetite: before competitions he ate two roast chickens. One of his fans described him: “ A big set of beautiful white teeth in a friendly grin, and a picture of a huge stomach. "(German:" A friendly grin with lots of beautiful white teeth and a picture of a big belly. ")

Abuhif was also known for his generosity. In 1952, for example, he and his compatriot Mari Hamad won a distance swim in the Seine and left the money due to him to the French swimmer Georges Valery, who was paralyzed after an accident. In 1955 he won a swimming competition across the English Channel despite strong international competition and donated his bonus to the family of seven of a swimmer who drowned while trying to cross the channel unaccompanied.

Abdellatif Abuhif was married to the well-known opera singer (soprano) and former rider Manar Abuhif. His son Nasser Abuhif was Egyptian autocross champion in 1994 and 1995 .

Abuhif died in 2008 of complications from hepatitis .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Members Of The 24-Hour Club. Open Water Swimming, May 19, 2012, accessed May 1, 2014 .
  2. ↑ a b Abdull Latif Abo-Heif. In: openwaterpedia.com. Openwaterpedia, April 8, 2018, accessed April 8, 2018 (em).
  3. ^ Four clubs, four communities: The Gezira Sporting Club. Egypt Independent, March 16, 2012, accessed May 1, 2014 .
  4. ^ A b Paul Mason: Heroes of swimming: Abdel Latif Abu Heif. The Guardian , January 10, 2014, accessed April 30, 2014 .
  5. ↑ Abouheif (Abdellatif). Galaxie Natation, June 26, 2013, accessed May 1, 2014 (French).
personal data
SURNAME Abuhif, Abdellatif
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Abuhif, Abdellatif Chamis (full name); Abouheif, Abdellatief (alternative spelling); Abu Heif, Abdel Latif
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Egyptian marathon swimmer
DATE OF BIRTH September 30, 1929
PLACE OF BIRTH Alexandria
DATE OF DEATH April 23, 2008
Place of death Alexandria