Hassiba Boulmerka "Arab women" in 1992 Olympics in Barcelona

The path to Hassiba's victory in 1992 Olympics in Barcelona was charted in 1991 in Tokyo. In the Japanese capital, Hassiba had scored a stunning victory in the 1500m run at the World Athletics Championships.

She returned to Algiers and was hailed as a national heroine and a role model for all Arab women who wanted to break away from their conservative and restrictive roles. However, she was also condemned by Islamic fundamentalists. That mean she was forced to move to Europe to train. No one in the wide world expected Hassiba to win in Barcelona.

Especially after the manner in which Russia's Lyudmila Rogacheva set a torrid pace and burned away the rest of the field. But two hundred metres from the finish, Hassiba drove past Rogacheva and cruised to victory. Hassiba's success was regarded across the globe as the perfect answer to Muslim fundamentalists who had sought to restrict women from taking part in sport.

"Your victory in Barcelona is a victory for all Arab women. It gives hope for the progress of the Arab woman," Jordan's Queen Noor wrote to her in a letter.