Agadir – Moroccan runner Imad Bouchajda won the gold medal in the men’s 800 meters at the U20 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, becoming the country’s first champion in the event and securing Morocco’s first medal of the 2026 edition.
Bouchajda, 19, delivered a dominant performance in the final held on the night of Saturday, August 8, into Sunday, August 9, clocking 1:44.64 to claim the world junior title.
Australia’s Daniel Williams finished second in 1:45.36, while Spain’s Alejandro Rios took bronze with a time of 1:46.25.
The victory marks the most significant title of Bouchajda’s young career. The reigning African vice-champion and Moroccan U20 record holder has now established himself as one of the country’s leading prospects in middle-distance running.
Bouchajda’s triumph also ends a 22-year wait for a Moroccan gold medal at the U20 World Championships, following Abdalaati Iguider’s victory in the 1,500m in Grosseto, Italy, in 2004.
He becomes the fourth Moroccan athlete to win gold at the U20 World Championships, following Adil Kaouch, who won the 1,500m in Annecy, France, in 1998; Yassine Bensghir, who claimed the 1,500m title in Kingston, Jamaica, in 2002; and Iguider, who won the 1,500m in Grosseto.
The gold medal is Morocco’s first-ever U20 World Championships title in the 800m.
Morocco has now collected 23 medals in the history of the U20 World Athletics Championships, including four gold, three silver, and 16 bronze medals.