A successful challenge for the organisers of the 7th Mohammed VI International Athletics Meeting, held this year at the Grand Stadium of Marrakech and enhanced by the presence of HRH Prince Moulay Rachid. For this 2014 edition, the 7th stage of the IAAF World Challenge, no less than 200 renowned athletes representing about forty countries were part of it. An official meeting where the champions went all out so that, in the end, this meeting was punctuated by good times and remarkable performances. In this regard, it is worth mentioning first the best world performance of the year recorded in the women's long jump competition by the American Tianna Bartoletta with a jump of 6.93 m. She finished ahead of her compatriot Funmilayo Jimoh (6.74 m) and the Russian Olga Kucherenko (6.70 m). Still in the women's events, the Jamaican Simone Faicey was able to shatter the meeting record in the 200 m, bringing it to 22.70 sec. She was followed by another Jamaican, Aleen Bailey, and the Canadian Crystal Emmanuel, who ran in 22.89 sec and 23.20 sec respectively, while the Moroccan Lamiae Lhabaze finished well last in 25.39 sec. In the 800 m event, the Moroccan specialist of the event, Malika Akkaoui, who took over after the departure of Hasna Benhassi, did well by occupying the third step of the podium in 2 min 01.13 sec. As for the victory, it went to the Belarusian Mariana Arzamasova (2 min 00.71 sec), followed by the American Molly Beckwith-Ludlow (2 min 00.91 sec). Just like the two-lap event, the 3000 m steeplechase saw the Moroccan Salima El Ouali El Alami finish in 3rd place, covering the distance in 9 min 32.23 sec, while her compatriot Fadwa Sidi Madane brought up the rear (11 min 05.74 sec). The victory, as expected, was the work of the Ethiopian Hiwot Ayalew (9 min 24.11 sec) who had the last word over the Kenyan Ruth Chebet (9 min 27.90 sec). No podium in national colours, however, in the 1500 m race. The best of the entrants was Rababe Arafi who ranked 4th with a time of 4 min 06.10 sec, behind the Ethiopian Dawit Seyaum, winner in 3 min 59.53 sec, the Russian Anna Shchagina, second in 4 min 05.58 sec, and the Ukrainian Anna Mishchenko, third in 4 min 06.101 sec. Siham El Hilali, Sanae El Otmani, and Ibtissam Aït El Batoul had to settle for 5th (4 min 06.55 sec), 7th (4 min 12.37 sec), and 9th (4 min 24.44 sec) places respectively. The American Lolo Jones dominated the 100 m, crossing the finish line in 12.74 sec and getting the better of her compatriot Kristi Castlin (12.81 sec) and the Panamanian Yvette Lewis (13.14 sec). Still in the sprint, a modest 7th place for Hayat Lambarki in the 400 m hurdles after completing her lap in a time of 58.46 sec. And it was the South African Wenda Theron Nel who won with a time of 54.82 sec, ahead of the American Tiffany Ross-Williams (54.82 sec) and the Ukrainian Hanna Titimets (55.49 sec). As for the technical events, logic was fully respected with the victory of the New Zealander Valerie Adams in the shot put competition. The Olympic champion and four-time world champion finished in pole position with a throw of 19.69 m, followed by the Ukrainian Galyna Obleschchuk (18.82 m) and the Hungarian Anita Marton (18.11 m). In the hammer throw, the first three steps of the podium were trodden, in order, by the German Kathrin Klass (73.30 m), the Canadian Sultana Frizell (73.21 m), and the Romanian Blanca Perie (70.57 m). The Moroccan Soukaina Zakkour ranked 9th with a throw not exceeding 51.74 m. In the men's table, the public expected to see Abdelaâti Iguider dominate the 1500 m, but that was without counting on the Marrakchi Sadik Mikhou who wanted to win at home. He waited for the last bend to trigger a sprint that allowed him to overtake his competitors and win hands down in 3 min 34.36 sec, a new meeting record. The second place was occupied by the Turk Ilham Tanui Ôzbilen (3 min 34.76 sec), while the third went to the Moroccan Yassine Bensghir (3 min 34.80 sec). Abdelaâti Iguider could do no better than 9th (3 min 38.26 sec), while the other local athletes entered in this race ranked 7th for Younès Essalhi (3 min 37.51 sec), 8th for Abdelhadi Labali (3 min 37.52 sec), 11th for Zakaria Maazouzi (3 min 39.15 sec), and 13th for Fouad Elkaam (3 min 42.63 sec). The 800 m race lived up to all its promises given the high level of the athletes involved. Thus, the Ethiopian Mohamed Aman, world champion and winner during the previous edition, defended his title after covering the two laps in 1 min 45.58 sec. He outclassed a big calibre, the Sudanese Abubaker Kaki (1 min 45.61 sec) and the Moroccan Amine El Manaoui (1 min 46.27 sec). The two other Moroccan athletes who took part in this race, Samir Jamma and Nader Belhanbel, had to settle for 6th (1 min 47.17 sec) and 8th (1 min 47.90 sec) positions respectively. The Moroccan Ilias Fifa is also entitled to boast about his performance in the 5000 m, finishing 2nd in 13 min 14.89 sec behind the Bahraini Albert Rop (13 min 14.45 sec) and ahead of the Kenyan Vincent Rono (13 min 16.42 sec). Hicham Bellaini, a regular on the circuit and major IAAF events, occupied the 4th rank (13 min 22.72 sec), while El Hassan Elabassi ranked 9th with a time of 13 min 33.95 sec. In the 3000 m steeplechase, the Moroccan athlete Brahim Taleb managed to cross the finish line in second position in 8 min 20.20 sec, at a time when the first and third places were Kenyan thanks to Clement Kemboi Kimutai (8 min 18.73 sec) and Haron Lagat (8 min 22.46 sec). Jaouad Chemlal had to settle for the 7th rank with a time of 8 min 29.42 sec. In the technical events, the high jump was a battle between the world champion, the Ukrainian Bohdan Bondarenko, and the Olympic champion, the Russian Ivan Ulkhov. And it was the first athlete mentioned who had the last word, after clearing a bar set at 2.39 m, a new meeting record. Ukhor finished 2nd (2.33 m) followed by the Romanian Mihai Donisan (2.25 m). The other meeting record was recorded in the javelin competition through the Russian Dimitri Tarabin with a throw of 81.27 m. He outclassed the Estonians Risto Matas (79.03 m) and Tanel Laanmäe (78.64 m). African victory in the triple jump thanks to the Nigerian Tosin Oke (16.62 m) who finished ahead of the Portuguese Nelson Evora (16.62 m) and the Brazilian Jonathan Silva (16.58 m). Finally, in the sprint, the Qatari Femi Seun Ogunode shattered the meeting record in the 200 m, now established at 20.16 sec. He was followed by Jason Livemore of Jamaica (20.28 sec) and Mosito Lehata of Lesotho (20.44 sec). While in the 100 m, the winner of the Paris Worlds, Kim Collins of Saint Kitts and Nevis, won the event in 10.13 sec, ahead of Femi Seun Ogunode (10.14 sec) and the Jamaican Kemar Bailey-Cole (10.16 sec). It should be noted that the Moroccan sprinter Aziz Ouhaddi finished 9th in the 100 m (10.31 sec) and 6th in the 200 m (20.69 sec). As a reminder, during the previous edition at the Moulay Abdellah Complex in Rabat, two meeting records (800 m and 1500 m women) were shattered. At the Grand Stadium of Marrakech and in front of a large audience, the athletes did better under the eyes of the IAAF president, Lamine Diack, who had always supported this meeting destined to join the prestigious Diamond League circuit.