Sports career

She began her sports career in 1978, under the guidance of her coach, Jean-François Coquand. The latter convinced her two years later to specialise in the 400 metres hurdles. She distinguished herself on the international level in 1982 by winning two gold medals during the African Championships in Cairo, Egypt, in the 100 m hurdles and the 400 m hurdles. Titled in 1983 during the Mediterranean Games in Casablanca, she decided that same year to go to the United States to pursue studies in physical education.

In 1984, Nawal El Moutawakel entered history as the first Arab, African, and Muslim woman to win an Olympic gold medal at the Los Angeles Games. She won the 400 m hurdles, ahead of the American Judi Brown and the Romanian Cristina Cojocaru, and at the same time improved the African record in 54 s 61.

She won two new continental titles in the 400 m hurdles, in 1984 and 1985.

In 1989, she began a career as a coach after obtaining a physical education degree from the American University of Iowa.

Member of sports institutions

In 1995, Nawal El Moutawakel was elected a member of the executive committee of the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF), before being designated vice-president of this federation.
In 1998, she became a member of the International Olympic Committee.
In 1999, she was designated a member of the IOC 2000 commission, whose mission consisted of preparing and proposing all recommendations, before being chosen in August of the same year by the executive committee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as a member of the Commission 2000, whose mission was to formulate recommendations concerning changes to the structures, organisation, and statutes of the IOC.
The Moroccan Olympic champion was designated in 2005 as a member of the coordination commission for the 2012 Olympics.
In January 2007, she was appointed vice-president of the Royal Moroccan Athletics Federation (FRMA).
On 7 August 2008, she was appointed a member of the executive commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
In July 2004, she was president of the IOC evaluation commission for the 2012 Olympic Games awarded to the city of London. In parallel, in 2004-2005, she occupied the functions of Director of the "Sahara Sports Academy- Amby Vally - INDIA" and from 1998 to 2003, the position of Executive Director of the BMCE Bank Foundation for education and the environment.
On 13 January 2010, Nawal was appointed president of the coordination commission for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. In January 2010, she was ranked 2nd by the French daily L'Équipe among the pioneers of African sport.
On 26 July 2012, Nawal El Moutawakel was elected new vice-president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), winning by a majority of 81 votes "for", 10 "against", and 3 "null".

Political career

In August 1997, the late King Hassan II appointed her Secretary of State to the Minister of Social Affairs in charge of youth and sports, a position she held until March 1998.
On 15 October 2007, she was appointed Minister of Youth and Sports under the Abbas El Fassi Government. On 29 July 2009, she was replaced by Moncef Belkhayat.

Distinctions

Nawal El Moutawakel is the recipient of the following distinctions:

National Merit (exceptional order) awarded by King Hassan II of Morocco (1983)
Knight of the National Order of the Lion awarded by the President of Senegal Abdou Diouf (1998)
Unicef Goodwill Ambassador (1999)
National Merit of the order of commander awarded by the King of Morocco Mohammed VI (2004)
Grand Officer of the National Order of Merit of the Republic of Tunisia (2005)
Lifetime Achievement Trophy from the Laureus Association (2010)
UN Goodwill Ambassador for the Millennium Development Goals (2011)
In 2014, she was ranked among the "50 most influential African personalities in the world" according to Jeune Afrique magazine.