Hibapress
The national athletics team, taking part in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games (July 26 – August 11), includes 13 athletes (8 men and 5 women), headlined by Olympic and world champion Soufiane El Bakkali.
At the Paris Olympics, El Bakkali hopes to win Olympic gold again in the 3,000m steeplechase, after Tokyo-2020, to become the second Moroccan athlete to be doubly crowned at the Olympic Games after Hicham El Guerrouj, gold medalist in the 1,500m and 5,000m at Athens-2004.
Reigning world champion, El Bakkali has the 9th best time of all time in the 3,000m steeplechase with 7min 56sec 68/100th, recorded last year at the Mohammed VI International Athletics Meeting.
Alongside El Bakkali, the men’s national team also includes Othmane El Goumri, winner of the Sydney Marathon in 2023 with a time of 02h 8min 20sec, Zouhair Talbi who won the Houston Marathon last January in 02h 06min 39sec and Mouhcine Outalha who will also be involved in the Marathon.
The men’s national athletics team also includes Mohamed Tindouft and El Mostafa Faid (3,000m steeplechase), Anas Essayi (1,500m) and Abdelati El Guesse (800m) who achieved his best performance this season at the Irena Szewinska Meeting in Poland.
In the women’s category, the national colours will be defended by Fatima Ezzahra Gardadi, Rahma Tahiri and Kawtar Farkoussi (Marathon), Noura Ennadi (400m hurdles) and Assia Raziki (800m).
Gardadi has a great chance of shining at these Games after making history by giving Morocco its first medal at the World Athletics Championships in 2023 in Budapest.
Gardadi put in an exceptional performance to put his name on the list of winners of the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, preventing an all-Ethiopian podium finish.
In total, national athletics won 20 medals during its various participations in the Olympic Games, including 7 gold, 5 silver and 8 bronze.
The gold medals were won by Nawal El Moutawakil (400m hurdles) and Said Aouita (5,000m) in 1984 in Los Angeles, Brahim Boutaib (10,000m) in 1988 in Seoul, Khalid Skah (10,000m) in 1992 in Barcelona, Hicham El Guerrouj (1,500m and 5,000m) in 2004 in Athens and Soufiane El Bakkali (3,000m steeplechase) in Tokyo-2020.
As for the silver medals, they were won by the late Abdeslam Radi (Marathon) in 1960 in Rome, Rachid Labsir (1,500 m) in 1992 in Barcelona, Hicham El Guerrouj (1,500 m) in 2000 in Sydney, Hasna Benhassi (800 m) in 2004 in Athens and Jaouad Gharib in the Marathon during the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
The bronze medals were won by Said Aouita (800m) in Seoul-1988, Salah Hissou (10,000m) in Atlanta-1996, Khalid Boulami (5,000m) in Atlanta-1996, Nezha Bidouane (400m hurdles) in Sydney-2000, Brahim Lahlafi (5,000m) in Sydney-2000, Ali Ezzine (3,000m steeplechase) in Sydney-2000, Hasna Benhassi (800m) in Beijing-2008 and Abdelaati Iguidir (1,500m) in London-2012.
