Morocco's former Olympic track champion Said Aouita has taken over as the country's athletics technical director, promising to restore national pride after a lacklustre performance at the Beijing Olympics.
Aouita remains a hero in Morocco for his exploits in the 1980s when he broke British dominance over the men's mile and became the only man in Olympic history to win medals over both 800 and 5000 metres.
He says that experience is what Morocco needs to revive its fortunes before the London Olympics in 2012.
Moroccan runners return from Beijing with a bronze in the women's 800 metres and a silver in the men's marathon.
