Athletics: One-on-one with former middle distance runner Margaret Morel-“It will take a long time before somebody breaks my records” |08 January 2005

Barely two months after getting started, Margaret Morel was selected on the Seychelles team for the First Indian Ocean Islands Games (IOIG) in Reunion. With two bronze medals in the 1,500 metres and the 4x400m relay in Reunion, Morel’s career as an athlete was well and truly under way.

Her natural strength in running and the adrenaline boost which came from the excitement of competing earned Morel another selection for a prestigious Games, the XXII Olympiad in Moscow, USSR, in 1980.

Although Morel, who was also talented on the hockey field, had her career as an athlete stopped prematurely in 1982 because of knee and back injuries, two of her records remain unbeaten.

In fact, Morel holds the oldest track and field record here. Her 1,500-metre best time of 4 minutes 37.89 seconds (4:37.89) set on July 30, 1980 in Moscow is 24 years old.
Morel, whose old 800-metre best of 2:16.94 was improved to 2:16.85 by Natacha Bibi in 2000 during the Southern Region Junior Athletics Championship Seychelles hosted, also holds the 3,000-metre record of 10:17.8.

Of the two records, Morel likes the one over 1,500 metres best because the distance was her signature event.

On Friday, Sports Nation met Morel who will be celebrating her 47th birthday on February 19 and she willingly gave us an interview.

Sports Nation: When and how exactly did you start doing athletics?

Margaret Morel: My friend Jenita Adrienne was a member of the Rangers team and she introduced me to athletics in 1979. Two months later, I went to the IOIG in Reunion with practically very little training, I competed in the 800 metres, 1,500 metres and the 4x400m relay. I won two medals (two bronze in the 1,500 metres and the 4x400m relay). Knee and back injuries cut my athletics career short in 1982. Training and competing were becoming unbearable for me and I divorced athletics on the doctor’s advice.

Sports Nation: Twenty-four years on, your 1,500-metre record set in 1980 still stands. How do you feel when you look back at what you did at that time?

Margaret Morel: I feel proud because I trained well, rested well, had a positive attitude and pursued my training. During the old days, we were focused on what we had to do and we achieved our goals. Nowadays, young athletes generally don’t have the same devotion towards their sports.
Over the years, I’ve followed the times registered over 1,500 metres by young athletes and there is a big gap with my record time. So I believe it will take a really long time, possibly 30 years, before it can be broken.

Sports Nation: You talked about training well. What kind of training did you follow at that time?

Margaret Morel: I trained for one hour on my own every morning. After work, I trained with the Seychelles selection at Stad Popiler and I then jogged all the way home (at St Louis). Every Sunday afternoon, I concentrated on endurance training, running from St Louis to the Mahe Beach Hotel at Port Glaud via Sans Soucis and back. At that time, competition was stiff and very interesting. It was so interesting that at times you wanted to compete the whole day during different championships.

Sports Nation: Is there an athlete who you think can make a serious attempt at your records?

Margaret Morel: I believe Natacha Bibi had a good chance of breaking the 1,500-metre record, but she has not been taking athletics seriously of late. It will take a long time before somebody comes along and break the record.  When Natacha Bibi broke my 800-metre record in 2000, I was not too sad because I ran the distance just to get more speed for the 1,500 metres.
In my opinion, potential young athletes should be encouraged to compete at the highest level. It is the only way they will improve. They (young athletes) must also not be discouraged by people’s remarks.

Sports Nation: Why did you choose to run middle distances and not the sprints?

Margaret Morel: I started athletics doing the sprints but I was not good and did not win. So, I told myself: ‘why not try the middle distance races.’ It was a wise choice and I don’t regret it. My innate talent helped in my ascent.

Sports Nation: Do you still follow athletics?

Margaret Morel: Yes I do. I often come to Stad Popiler to watch training and competitions. I can’t miss the annual Inter-School Athletics Championship. I love seeing young athletes run the 1,500 metres. I know that it may sound funny, but I give tactical tips to the athletes even though they can’t hear me. It’s an instinctive reaction.

Sports Nation: In 1980 you represented Seychelles at the Olympic Games in Moscow. If you cast your memories 24 years back, how does it feel to have represented Seychelles at the biggest multi-sports Games?

Margaret Morel: Competing at the Olympic Games is every athlete’s dream. This is a once in a life-time opportunity. You feel good when you are being asked to sign autographs and competing in front of so many spectators is a wonderful feeling.

Sports Nation: What are your best and worst memories in athletics?

My best memory in athletics is the day I won a cross-country at Anse à la Mouche in 1979. I ran faster than some male runners and I won my first cup. The worst must be the injuries that forced me out for good.

Sports Nation: Is there someone who influenced you as a 1,500-metre runner?

Margaret Morel: Tanzanian Filbert Bayi. I watched his running tactics and tried to incorporate them in my training. Watching videos of him, I learned how to go on the attack and overtake opponents.

Sports Nation: Finally, other than being a middle distance runner, you were also a good hockey player. Which of the two sports did you like best?

Margaret Morel: Of course it was athletics. I started playing hockey with Rangers and then joined St Louis. I only played hockey after the completion of athletics competitions. I had the energy to do both sports at the same time.

G. G.

History of 800, 1,500m and 3,000m records

800 metres
Holder                     Performance                      Date                      Place
Anne-Marie Wirtz      2:28.2  (hand timing)          July 1978                Seychelles
Anne-Marie Wirtz      2:22.06  (electronic timing)  August 1979           Seychelles
Margaret Morel         2:16.94 (electronic timing)   24/07/1980             Moscow (USSR)
Margaret Morel         2:17.0 (hand timing)           29/09/1980             Seychelles
Natacha Bibi            2:16.85 (electronic timing)    14/08/2000            Seychelles

1,500 metres
Holder                        Performance                            Date                           Place
Margaret Morel         5:08.1 (hand timing)            August  1979          Seychelles
Margaret Morel         4:59.0 (hand timing)            August 1980           Seychelles
Margaret Morel         4:37.89 (electronic timing)    30/07/1980             Moscow (USSR)

3,000 metres
Holder                       Performance                             Date                            Place
Margaret Morel         10.52.9 (hand timing)            August  1979       Seychelles
Margaret Morel         10.27.7 (hand timing)            July1980             Seychelles
Margaret Morel         10.19.0 (hand timing)            July 1981            Seychelles
Margaret Morel         10:17.8 (hand timing)            15/11/1981         Seychelles