Yassine Hssine becomes first Moroccan under 20 seconds in 200m

Sprinter Yassine Hssine has set a new national record in the 200 meters. As of yesterday, the Moroccan runner now holds the mark with a time of 19.97 seconds, becoming the first Moroccan to dip under the 20-second barrier. The feat confirms the athlete’s promise as one of the country’s rising hopes and comes after he broke the record three times in succession, improving his performance for the fourth time in less than a month.

Yassine Hssine first broke his own Moroccan 200m record last May at the Meeting Mohammed VI in Rabat. After finishing sixth in 20.18 seconds, he improved on that achievement last month at the Malaga meeting, taking second place behind Olympic champion Andre de Grasse in 20.10. That same month, he clocked 20.00 seconds in Zagreb, Croatia, before lowering his time even further.

??EXCELLENT! ?

Hssine Yassine is writing another chapter in the history of Moroccan athletics.

The Moroccan sprinter has improved the national 200m record for the fourth time in a month, becoming the first Moroccan to break the 20-second barrier with a time of 19.97 seconds. https://t.co/Jz77e0DgoZ pic.twitter.com/N20iKsFHRv

— Moroccan Foot Talents (@Moroccanfoot94) July 5, 2026

Commenting on his performances last month, Yassine Hssine wrote on social media that records do not define him. «They motivate me to break new ones», he said, adding that he was proud of his successive achievements and «grateful for every step of this journey». Determined to give his very best, the sprinter said he was «even more excited to see what the future has in store for [him]».

Earlier, at the Moroccan championships, Yassine Hssine won the national 100m title in 10.02 seconds, breaking Aziz Ouhadi’s national record of 10.09. He also holds the national 60m record, with a time of 6.66 seconds.