Gold medal and world record for Fatima El Idrissi in the T12 marathon, Wajdi Boukhili crowned among men

A historic finish for Fatima El Idrissi. Arriving alone in the lead at Les Invalides, the Moroccan is the new Paralympic champion of the marathon in the T12 category, reserved for the visually impaired, with a record mark to boot. After covering the required 42.195 km in 2h48:36, the Moroccan runner, already a silver medalist in the 1500m, smashed the world record held by Japan’s Misato Michishita, shaving more than five minutes off it.

Defending champion since her demonstration in Tokyo, the Japanese runner finished this time just off the podium in Paris, behind another Moroccan Meryem En-Nourhi, accompanied by her guide (left arm amputee) Abdelhadi El Harti and the Spaniard Elena Congost, accompanied by her guide Mia Carol Bruguera, consumed by the effort and almost unable to cross the finish line in front of the Invalides.

Also readParalympic Games: Worn out by the effort and gripped by cramps, a guide struggles to finish the marathon

In the men’s race, El Amin Chentouf was dethroned by Tunisian Wajdi Boukhili, who won solo with a lead of almost two minutes over Spaniard Alberto Suarez Laso. The bronze medallist, Chentouf, however, kept his Olympic record by 20 seconds and thus consoled himself with a bronze medal, the third for the Moroccan delegation in this Sunday marathon.