Spanish Citizenship Granted to Moroccan Runner Majida Maayouf, Eyeing 2024 Olympics

Madjida Maayouf arrived in Spain in 2011 and has been living in Álava since 2013, where she has successively resided in Vitoria, Alegría and Agurain. She started this naturalization process two years ago. The Council of Ministers approved her request on Tuesday, putting an end to this long process. "It’s a day of celebration. I’ve been nervous for days, aware that this changes my life. I will finally be able to be a Spanish athlete and realize my dream of participating in the Paris 2024 Olympics," Maayouf told El Correo.

The Moroccan-born athlete won the Spanish cross-country championship in January, but was unable to receive the title or medal because she did not have Spanish nationality. Now, she will be able to participate in national and international competitions under the Spanish colors. Her immediate goal is the Budapest World Cup in August.

Madjida Maayouf is one of the references of Spanish athletics. At the Valencia marathon in 2022, she achieved a time of 2:21:01, the sixth best European time and the best Spanish performance, beating the national record held by Marta Galimany (2:26:14). Last Sunday, she won the Madrid Vintage with a time of 31:21, the female record in the history of the event, as well as in the 5 kilometers (15:24), 10 kilometers (31:38), 21 kilometers (1:12:24), and the marathon (2:21:01) where she holds the best times. Madjida is also the unofficial Spanish champion in the 2022 half marathon, the 2023 cross-country, and the 5 and 10 kilometers on the road.