Spanish Track Star Mohamed Katir Aims to Break More Records in 2022

In an interview with EFE, Katir stated that he is at the peak of his form and ready to break new records this year, after an exceptional 2021 in which he broke the national records in the 1,500, 3,000 and 5,000 meters and participated for the first time in the Tokyo Olympics, where he finished eighth.

The athlete of Moroccan origin was in Malaga, where he took part in the 5-kilometer race organized by the ASICS shoe brand, his main sponsor, on the occasion of the launch of a new line of shoes, a "faster and lighter" model that Katir intends to use for his competitions this year. The athlete finished this race with a time of 13:20, two seconds off the European record of 5 kilometers on the road held by Frenchman Jimmy Gresier (13:18) and one second off the Spanish record held by Ouassim Oumaiz (13:19).

To read: Spanish-Moroccan Runner Mohamed Katir Shatters National Records, Eyes Olympic Medal

The 1,500m World Cup in Eugene (USA) and the 5,000m European Championship in Munich (Germany) are his two main priorities this year. "Breaking a record is much more difficult than winning a medal. It takes a lot of training," he explained. "I consider myself a legend of athletics. If in just one year I have been able to find my footing, I think I can do better. I have to train well, take care of myself and the rest will come naturally," he added.

Katir has been training since the age of 12, but is not very well known because he did not have the opportunity to participate in major competitions before obtaining Spanish nationality. "People are surprised by my path and think I come from nowhere," he says, adding that before being an established athlete, he passed the firefighter exam and is also passionate about writing. "I write a lot of poems about nature and one day I will publish them," he concluded.