What happened to Salah Hissou after 1999?

Here's his IAAF profile:

https://www.iaaf.org/athletes/morocco/salah-hissou-14100

He ran the 2002 5k world lead (12:55). Looks like he competed on the track until 2003, then switched to roads. Retired after 2005.

Larry Bird wrote:

In 1999, Salah Hissou was probably one of the best 5000m runners and probably would have been favourite for the 2000 Olympics in the 5000m race but did not compete.

He pretty much disappeared in the early 2000's before turning 30.

Injury?

He still has one of the fastest all time 10000m and 5000m times.

Hissou even ran 2:12:44.4 in the 2004 Rotterdam Marathon.

Scared off by the EPO test.

Doper

You put in 10 years of world class times and that's a pretty good career.

Has to be one of the most underrated distance runners ever.

The guy broke one of Geb's 10,000m world records. And Geb's records were unbelievable.

Star wrote:

And Geb's records were unbelievable.

You said a mouthful there.

Look at the number of top Moroccans caught in the last 10 or so years. Way way more than the east Africans. That really puts for me a big asterisk on Moroccan performances when drug testing was crappy. Also, was EPO around when Morceli ran his world records? I'm curious because he was absolutely incredible and Algeria doesn't seem to have the same doping problem as Morocco aside from makhloufi (jama aden).

Ddoper wrote:

Look at the number of top Moroccans caught in the last 10 or so years. Way way more than the east Africans. That really puts for me a big asterisk on Moroccan performances when drug testing was crappy. Also, was EPO around when Morceli ran his world records? I'm curious because he was absolutely incredible and Algeria doesn't seem to have the same doping problem as Morocco aside from makhloufi (jama aden).

On first glance you are correct, but Morocco is a short flight from France and European labs whereas there are no labs on the African continent and is far more remote for officials to access. So it is far easier to catch north Africans. There is no surprise OOC testing in East Africa.

Subway Surfers Addiction wrote:

Ddoper wrote:

Look at the number of top Moroccans caught in the last 10 or so years. Way way more than the east Africans. That really puts for me a big asterisk on Moroccan performances when drug testing was crappy. Also, was EPO around when Morceli ran his world records? I'm curious because he was absolutely incredible and Algeria doesn't seem to have the same doping problem as Morocco aside from makhloufi (jama aden).

On first glance you are correct, but Morocco is a short flight from France and European labs whereas there are no labs on the African continent and is far more remote for officials to access. So it is far easier to catch north Africans. There is no surprise OOC testing in East Africa.

Is there actually suspicions of doping on Hissou?

He won the Northeastern twilight 10000m in May 1992 in 28:45.

He ran that race because he knew he wasn’t ready for the brutal age group competition at the 4th of July Dedham 10k.

Saturday night live wrote:

He won the Northeastern twilight 10000m in May 1992 in 28:45.

He ran that race because he knew he wasn’t ready for the brutal age group competition at the 4th of July Dedham 10k.

Subway Surfers Addiction wrote:

Ddoper wrote:

Look at the number of top Moroccans caught in the last 10 or so years. Way way more than the east Africans. That really puts for me a big asterisk on Moroccan performances when drug testing was crappy. Also, was EPO around when Morceli ran his world records? I'm curious because he was absolutely incredible and Algeria doesn't seem to have the same doping problem as Morocco aside from makhloufi (jama aden).

On first glance you are correct, but Morocco is a short flight from France and European labs whereas there are no labs on the African continent and is far more remote for officials to access. So it is far easier to catch north Africans. There is no surprise OOC testing in East Africa.

Marrakech is not closer than Paris than Addis Ababa is from Doha, Qatar...

Ddoper wrote:

Look at the number of top Moroccans caught in the last 10 or so years. Way way more than the east Africans. That really puts for me a big asterisk on Moroccan performances when drug testing was crappy. Also, was EPO around when Morceli ran his world records? I'm curious because he was absolutely incredible and Algeria doesn't seem to have the same doping problem as Morocco aside from makhloufi (jama aden).

It's pretty close. Kenya has had ~40 doping positives, the majority for androgens, since 2011:

Morrocan runners have had about 37 since 2002 with the vast majority for EPO or sanctions for ABP hematological anomalies. They've also had some big names caught, particularly during the EPO-era:

Boulami: 7:53.17 (all-time best!) (EPO)

Mourhit: 7:26.62 (7th all-time),12:49.71 (25th all-time), 26:52.30 (32nd all-time) (EPO)

Gourmi: 12:50.25 (31st all-time), 2:05:30 (94th all-time) (ABP/Hematological anomalies)

Ramzi: 3:29.14 (50th all-time) (CERA)

Laâlou: 3:29.53 (71st all-time) (EPO)

These are 5 runners from one small country posting times in the top 100 all-time lists.

These are only the confirmed positive cases - no idea of how many other top performances have escaped detection.

There have been dozens & dozens of EPO positives & ABP sanctions with Moroccan runners over the last 3 decades including 5 bans/sanctions announced just last year!

Old habits are hard to break. ?

Ddoper wrote:

Look at the number of top Moroccans caught in the last 10 or so years. Way way more than the east Africans. That really puts for me a big asterisk on Moroccan performances when drug testing was crappy. Also, was EPO around when Morceli ran his world records? I'm curious because he was absolutely incredible and Algeria doesn't seem to have the same doping problem as Morocco aside from makhloufi (jama aden).

So you think El Guerrouj was a probable doper but not Morceli?

3:29.53 is only 71st all time. Crazy to think so many runners have run faster than that time.

irrelevance wrote:

Subway Surfers Addiction wrote:

On first glance you are correct, but Morocco is a short flight from France and European labs whereas there are no labs on the African continent and is far more remote for officials to access. So it is far easier to catch north Africans. There is no surprise OOC testing in East Africa.

Marrakech is not closer than Paris than Addis Ababa is from Doha, Qatar...

Not true a flight to Paris is 3:25 and there are over 6 flights per day on this route (not forgetting about flights to other European capitals) while Addis Ababa is 4:45, and there are 6 flights per week on this route. My point is still valid it is easier for the IAAF to catch dopey Moroccans than it is to catch Ethiopians.

This is also the first that I have heard of any link between testing Ethiopians and Qatar labs, but it may well be their sample testing location.

It's only worth doping if you are near the top, if you need only marginal gains to put you over the hump.

So many may be doping, but many may be clean world record holders. Just like American swimmers or what not.