The Mohammed VI International Athletics meeting brings world champions to Rabat

Saturday 30 May 2026 - 16:45

The capital of Morocco, Rabat, is preparing to host one of the most prestigious events on the global athletics calendar: the 17th edition of the Meeting international Mohammed VI d’athlétisme, part of the 2026 Diamond League series. The competition will bring together some of the most successful Olympic and world champions this Sunday at the Olympic Stadium.

According to Mohamed Ghozlane, Secretary General of the Royal Moroccan Athletics Federation, this edition will feature an elite lineup of international athletes, including Olympic medalists and world champions from across all continents. He emphasized that Rabat has become a key destination in world athletics thanks to its modern facilities and its ability to host high-level competitions.

The event is expected to deliver a highly competitive atmosphere, with athletes aiming not only for victory but also for record-breaking performances. Organizers hope the meeting will witness new records, whether at the event level, within the Diamond League circuit, or even at world record level, reinforcing its reputation as a stage for excellence in global athletics.

Moroccan double Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali expressed his pride in competing at home, highlighting the growing international recognition of the Rabat meeting. He stated that the event attracts the best athletes in the world and provides an ideal platform to start the season with strong performances.

This year’s competition will feature several major stars, including Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi (800m Olympic champion), the United States’ Quincy Hall (400m world and Olympic champion), Ryan Crouser (shot put world and Olympic champion), and Great Britain’s Matt Hudson-Smith (400m world silver medalist).

In the women’s events, the lineup includes Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh (high jump world record holder), American Katie Moon (Olympic pole vault champion), Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, Bahamas’ Shaunae Miller-Uibo, and Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson, one of the most dominant sprinters in the world.

Several Moroccan athletes will also compete, including Souad Elhaddad, Mohamed Yassine Zerhoumi, Yassine Hssine, Anass Essayi, Fouad Messaoudi, Imad Bouchajda, Abdelati El Guesse, and others, representing a strong national presence across multiple disciplines.

Organized under the High Patronage of HM King Mohammed VI, the event is the result of collaboration between Morocco’s Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports, the National Olympic Committee, the Royal Moroccan Athletics Federation, and the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region.