FRMA presents the headliners of the 15th Mohammed VI International Meeting

Hibapress

The Royal Moroccan Athletics Federation organized a press conference to unveil the headliners of the 15th edition of the Mohammed VI International Athletics Meeting, this Saturday, May 18, 2024 at the conference room of the Grand Stade de Marrakech.

The Grand Stade de Marrakech will, on Sunday, be the scene of high-level performances for this 4th stage of the Diamond League, which will see the participation of an elite of Olympic and world champions, from more than 46 countries and representing the five continents.

At the opening of the conference, the secretary general of the Royal Moroccan Athletics Federation (FRMA), Mohamed Ghozlane, declared: “We sincerely hope that this edition will achieve the objectives set by the organizing committee in terms of new records for the meeting, for the Diamond League, or even world records.” The organizing committee did everything possible to ensure that this edition was a resounding success, both on a sporting level and in terms of welcoming athletes and spectators.

World and Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali, expressed his enthusiasm at the idea of ​​participating once again in the Mohammed VI Athletics Meeting, due to the importance that this event has for him and the prestigious name that it door.

Despite a previous injury, the Moroccan star received the green light from the federation’s medical team to compete at the meeting. He expressed his motivation and determination to win the competition, affirming his gratitude to the Moroccan public for their constant support and warmly inviting spectators to come in large numbers to the Grand Stade de Marrakech to encourage local and international athletes.

As for his future goals, El Bakkali said he had prioritized the quest for an Olympic title, relegating the world record to the background for the moment.

For his part, the American Chase Jackson, who won the two most recent World Championships in the shot put, highlighted the importance of the different stages of the Diamond League in preparation for the Olympic Games. She emphasized the competitive aspect of this event and how lucky she is to be surrounded by “friends,” which makes the competition more enjoyable.

She also expressed her excitement for her first participation in the Diamond League this year, regretting not being able to participate in the previous edition. She said she’s looking forward to experiencing this for the first time in a foreign country, and hopes to make a good impression. Jackson also spoke of the warm weather conditions encountered upon his arrival, expressing hope for light cloud cover for D-Day.

For his part, the last winner of the Diamond League in discus throwing, Matthew Denny, shared his impressions of his experience in Morocco, mentioning the warm welcome and support from the public and recalling his previous personal best achieved in Rabat. The Australian athlete stressed the importance of fan support in each competition, and expressed his hope to relive this positive atmosphere on Sunday in Marrakech.

The evolution of performance in discus throwing was also discussed with Denny, referencing the constant improvement in world records and the motivating impact on the entire athletics community. He also stressed the importance of remaining competitive, whatever the conditions, and expressed his enthusiasm for the challenges ahead.

As for the Swiss Mujinga Kambundji, European Championships in the 200m, she said she was happy to be back on the track and spoke of a start to the season considered satisfactory, despite performances below her expectations. Kambundji explained that she started her preparation early in China due to the upcoming European Championships, but she remains confident in her ability to improve over time. She also highlighted the inspiration she draws from her sister Ditaji, a constantly improving athlete. For her, the main goal is to prepare for the Olympic Games, with the European Championships as the first step and Paris as the later goal.

For his part, Andre De Grasse, Olympic champion and former world champion, stressed his desire to race to the best of his abilities, but admitted that the start of the season brings its share of uncertainties, particularly due to its limited participation in the 100 meters so far. Despite this, De Grasse remains optimistic about his performance and hopes to achieve fast times. He also expressed his satisfaction at returning to competition, particularly on the Moroccan track where he achieved exploits in the past.

This year, the Meeting Mohammed VI once again promises to capture the attention of the whole world. As a reminder, the previous edition in Rabat saw six meeting records, as well as an impressive hat-trick achieved by Soufiane El Bakkali in the 3000m steeplechase: a new meeting record, the best world performance of the year and a record staff.