Athletics: BOUCHAJDA Imad crowned U20 World Champion in the 800m

Our champion BOUCHAJDA Imad won the gold medal in the men’s 800m at the World Athletics U20 Championships, which took place from August 5 to 9, 2026, in Eugene, United States.

The young Moroccan athlete claimed victory in the final with a time of 1:44.64, securing the U20 world title. He finished ahead of Australia’s WILLIAMS Daniel, who took second place in 1:45.36, and Spain’s RIOS Alejandro, who came third in 1:46.25.

With this performance, BOUCHAJDA Imad became the first Moroccan athlete to win the U20 world title in the 800m.

This achievement further confirmed the Moroccan athlete’s progress on the international stage. BOUCHAJDA Imad also holds the Moroccan U20 record in the 800m, with a time of 1:44.38, set in July 2026.

Held at Hayward Field in Eugene, the World Athletics U20 Championships were one of the major international events for young athletes, bringing together some of the world’s most promising talents across the different athletics disciplines.

With this title, BOUCHAJDA Imad also became the fourth Moroccan athlete to win a gold medal in the history of the World Athletics U20 Championships, following KAOUCH Adil, who won the 1,500m title in 1998, BENSGHIR Yassine, crowned champion over the same distance in 2002, and IGUIDER Abdalaati, U20 world champion in the 1,500m in 2004.