Abdi Bile

Abdi Bile
Abdi Bile
Personal information
NationalitySomali
Born (1962-12-28) 28 December 1962
Las Anod, Sool, Somali Republic (Somalia)
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight75 kg (165 lb)
Sport
SportTrack
Event(s)800m, 1500m, mile, 3000m
College teamGeorge Mason
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)800m: 1:43.60
1500m: 3:30.55
Mile: 3:49.40
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Somalia
World Championships in Athletics
1987 Rome1500 m
1993 Stuttgart1500 m
Goodwill Games
1994 Saint Petersburg1 mile
African Championships
1985 Cairo1500 m
Representing Africa
IAAF World Cup
1989 Barcelona1500 m

Abdi Bile (Somali: Cabdi Bile Cabdi, Arabic: عبد بلي عبد; born 28 December 1962) is a former middle distance runner. He holds the highest number of national records in athletics in Somalia across various disciplines. He is currently Somalia's national record holder in nine athletic disciplines, and is thus far Somalia's most decorated athlete in history.

In 1987, he became world champion in the 1500 metres, the first Somali to do so. Bile ran the final 800m of the race in 1:46.0, which as of the 2020s, remains the fastest latter half in the history of the 1500m track race. During the semi-finals of the same championships, on 4 September 1987, he set a championship record with a time of 3:35.67 which lasted until 1 September 1991, when broken by Noureddine Morceli.

He defeated Britain's Sebastian Coe at the 1500m to win gold at the 1989 World Continental Cup. He also won silver at the same event in the 1985 African Championships in Cairo. In 1996 he represented Somalia at the 1996 Summer Olympics for the 1500 meters. His brother, Jama Bile, ran competitively for Northern Arizona University. His son Ahmed Bile ran competitively for Georgetown University.