Morocco's Fatima Ezzahra El-Idrissi made history at the Paralympic Games by setting a new world record in the women’s marathon for runners with visual impairments. Here are the key highlights:
Record-Breaking Performance
- New World Record: El-Idrissi completed the marathon in 2 hours, 48 minutes, and 36 seconds, breaking the previous world record held by Japan’s Mizato Michishita by nearly six minutes. The previous record was set in December 2020 in Hofu City.
- Motivation: Despite not aiming specifically for a world record, El-Idrissi's primary goal was to win gold. “I wasn’t running for a time, only for a medal,” she said, expressing her surprise at achieving both the gold and the world record.
Marathon Results
- Second Place: Moroccan runner Meryem En-Nourhi finished just over 9 minutes behind El-Idrissi.
- Third Place: Mizato Michishita, initially not in the top three, was upgraded to bronze after a doping control incident involving Spanish runner Elena Congost, who was disqualified for releasing the rope to her guide before the finish.
Other Notable Results
- Men’s T12 Marathon: Tunisia’s Wajdi Boukhili won with a time of 2 hours, 22 minutes, and 5 seconds, setting a season-best. He was followed by Spain’s Alberto Suarez Laso and Morocco’s El Amin Chentouf.
- Wheelchair Racing:
- Women’s T53/54 Marathon: Swiss racer Catherine Debrunner finished in 1:41:50, over four minutes ahead of Australia’s Madison de Rozario and the US’ Susannah Scaroni.
- Men’s T53/54 Marathon: Marcel Hug of Switzerland won with a time of 1:27:39, ahead of China’s Jin Hua and Japan’s Tomoki Suzuki.
Wheelchair Basketball
- Dutch Victory: The Netherlands’ women’s wheelchair basketball team defended their gold medal with a 63-49 victory over the United States. Bo Kramer and Mariska Beijer were key players, scoring 23 and 22 points respectively.
- Final Moments: Despite trailing going into the fourth quarter, the American team, led by coach Christina Schwab, made a late push but ultimately fell short.
Fatima Ezzahra El-Idrissi’s achievement is a significant moment for Moroccan sports and highlights the outstanding performances of athletes across various categories at the Paralympic Games.