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Morocco has a strong record at the World Athletics Championships, winning 33 medals across 19 editions: 12 gold, 12 silver, and nine bronze. Since the first edition in 1983 in Helsinki, Morocco has missed the podium only four times: in Stuttgart (1993), Berlin (2009), Daegu (2011), and Moscow (2013).
The most successful campaign came in 1999 in Seville, where Moroccan athletes collected five medals, including two golds from Hicham El Guerrouj in the 1,500m and Salah Hissou in the 5,000m. That performance saw Morocco finish fifth in the medal table.
The country has consistently produced champions, with double golds in 1997, 1999, 2001, and 2003. Individual stars include Said Aouita, Jawad Gharib, and Soufiane El Bakkali, who have all claimed gold in marquee events like the 5,000m, marathon, and 3,000m steeplechase.
Hicham El Guerrouj remains Morocco’s most decorated athlete at the World Championships with six medals, four of them gold, while Soufiane El Bakkali follows with four, including two golds. Bakkali, the reigning world and Olympic champion in the 3,000m steeplechase, will be aiming for a third world title in Tokyo.
Nezha Bidouane also stands out, having won two golds in the 400m hurdles and a silver in Seville, cementing her legacy among Morocco’s athletics elite.
Said Aouita made history in 1983 as the first Arab athlete to win a medal at the World Championships, setting the stage for Morocco to become a regular force in middle- and long-distance running. Hicham El Guerrouj continued that legacy with multiple world and Olympic golds, establishing Morocco as a serious contender on the global stage.
Morocco will be represented by 20 athletes at the upcoming 20th World Championships in Tokyo — 14 men and six women. Soufiane El Bakkali will be the nation’s main hope for gold in the 3,000m steeplechase.
The World Athletics Championships takes place from September 13 to 21, 2025, at the Japan National Stadium. This marks the third time Japan has hosted the event.
Around 2,000 athletes from nearly 200 countries are competing across 49 events, including sprints, middle- and long-distance races, field events, and road disciplines such as the marathon and race walks.
