| Mohammed Suleiman | |
| Fullname: | Mohammad Ahmed Suleiman |
| Sport: | Athletics |
| Event: | Middle distance running |
| Nationality: | Qatari |
| Club: | Mizuno Track Club International |
| Birth Place: | Buuhoodle, Somalia |
| Height: | 1.79m (05.87feet) |
| Weight: | 67kg (148lb) |
Mohammad Ahmed Suleiman (Arabic: محمد أحمد سليمان; born 23 November 1969)[1] is a Qatari middle-distance runner of Somali descent that won Qatar its first Olympic medal ever.
Suleiman was born in Buuhoodle, Somalia to a noble lineage of the Dhulbahante, Farah Garad (Axmed Garaad) and was naturalized in Qatar in his youth.[2] [3]
At the age of 18, Suleiman participated in the Olympic Games in Seoul over 1500 metres. However, he did not progress to the semi-finals. In 1991, Suleiman qualified for the World Championships in Tokyo, where he came in ninth.
In 1992, he achieved the greatest success of his career when he won the bronze medal in the Barcelona Olympics thus becoming the first-ever Olympic medallist for Qatar. Throughout his career, Suleiman ran several Asian records over 1500 m and the mile run.
He won the gold medal in the 1500 m representing Asia at the 1992 IAAF World Cup. Suleiman ran for Qatar at two further Olympic Games (in 1996 and 2000) and reached the event finals, although he did not make the podium.
Suleiman's younger brothers Nasser and Abdulrahman Suleiman have also competed internationally in middle-distance running – Abdulrahman was the 2002 Asian champion in the 1500 m.[4]