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Join on Telegram Rabat – Moroccan steeplechase runner Soufiane El Bakkali is set to compete in the upcoming World Athletics Championships steeplechase final after producing the fastest time at Friday’s semi-final. The Moroccan Olympian trailed behind some of his main competitors earlier in the race but produced a late surge of energy to complete the semi-final in a remarkable time of 8:16.65.
With yesterday’s win, El Bakkali appears set to repeat his success at the 2022 Doha Wanda Diamond League, where he won a gold medal. On Monday, the Moroccan steeplechase champion will compete with Kenya’s Leonard Bett and Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma, his two main rivals at the Doha competition.
Despite intense heat in Eugene, Oregon, where this year’s World Athletics Championships is held, El Bakkali appeared confident he could repeat his Doha success and take home the gold once again.
Speaking to Reuters, El Bakkali described the semi-finals as “really easy because the other athletes had some troubles to get through the hurdles, but not too easy either because of the heat.”
The Royal Moroccan Athletics Federation (FRMA) announced El Bakkali’s semi-final victory on its official facebook page, as the Moroccan athlete now faces his Doha rivals in Monday’s final.“I only have one goal for the final: winning the gold medal,” the Moroccan Olympian told Reuters.
