Doha – Morocco’s Paralympic team achieved its best-ever result at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, taking home a total of 15 medals including 3 golds, 6 silvers and 6 bronzes across para athletics and para taekwondo.
In the women’s T12 marathon, Fatima Ezzahra El Idrissi won gold and set a new world record with a time of 2:48:36. Her compatriot Meryem En-Nourhi claimed silver in 2:58:18, her personal best performance. En-Nourhi’s journey to this impressive display was guided by former Paralympic champion Abdelhadi El Harti.
Aymane El Haddaoui also set a world record in winning gold in the men’s T47 400m in 46.65 seconds. Ayoub Sadni took silver in 47.16, unable to defend the title he won at Tokyo 2020. El Haddaoui added a 100m bronze to his tally.
The third gold went to Mouncef Bouja in the men’s T12 400m.
Other medalists in para athletics included Azeddine Nouiri (silver in F34 shot put, bronze in F34 discus), Abdelillah Gani (silver in F53 shot put), Youssra Karim (silver in F41 discus), Saida Amoudi (bronze in F34 shot put), and marathon legend El Amin Chentouf who at age 43 won T12 bronze in 2:24:35 for his 5th Paralympic medal.
In para taekwondo, Ayoub Adouich (-63kg K44) and Rajae Akermach (+65kg K44) both earned bronze.
The haul of 15 medals surpasses Morocco’s previous best of 11 from Tokyo 2020 and brings the country’s all-time Paralympic total since debuting in 1988 to 53 (19 gold, 17 silver, 17 bronze).
In statements to Morocco’s state news agency (MAP), Said Mrini, Technical Director of the Moroccan Paralympic Federation, called the historic results the fruit of serious work by national coaches and the organization’s training strategy. He expressed hope for even better performances to come while emphasizing the need to redouble efforts across all Paralympic sports.
The Moroccan team in Paris comprised 38 athletes competing in para athletics, wheelchair tennis, para powerlifting, para taekwondo, road para cycling and 5-a-side football for the visually impaired.
