Ghada Shouaa is considered one of the best Asian and Arab female athletes of all time.
15 Facts About Ghada Shouaa
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Ghada Shouaa was a Syrian flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
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Ghada Shouaa has represented Syria in her two strongest multi-event disciplines, the individual high jump and long jump events.
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Ghada Shouaa holds the Syrian high jump records with 1.87 m outdoors, in javelin with 54.82 m in 200 m with 23.78, in long jump with 6.77 and in shot put with 16.25.
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Ghada Shouaa is multiple gold medalist at the Arab Athletics Championships.
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Ghada 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.
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Ghada Shouaa was born to a Greek Orthodox Christian family in the small Syrian city of Mhardeh in the Hama Governorate.
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Ghada Shouaa was harnessing her natural speed, competing in cross-country races.
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Ghada Shouaa played for the Syrian national team for a few years, but then decided to compete in athletics.
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In 1991, Ghada 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.
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Ghada Shouaa was immediately sent to the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo, where she placed last.
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Ghada Shouaa concluded her first athletics season with a silver medal in the 1991 Asian Athletics Championships.
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Ghada Shouaa debuted at the Olympics in the 1992 Barcelona Games, placing 25th in spite of an injury.
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Ghada Shouaa's breakthrough did not come until 1995, when she won the important heptathlon meet in Gotzis, scoring 6715 points.
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Ghada Shouaa attempted to defend her Olympic title in Sydney, but she again became injured and did not even finish the first event.