Rabat – Moroccan athlete Soufiane El Bakkali is determined to make history and break the world record at the upcoming Diamond League in Stockholm, after narrowly missing on the record at the Mohammed VI Meeting in Rabat in May.
El Bakkali is keen on once again attempting to set a new world time in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the upcoming event, which will take place on Sunday, July 2. But his task has become harder after the recent achievement of Ethiopian athlete Lamecha Girma.
The Ethiopian Olympic stunned the athletics world last month by taking-down the long-standing world record set by Qatar’s Saif Saaeed Shaheen in 2004 in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase.
On June 9, Girma crossed the finish line in a remarkable time of 7 minutes and 52.11 seconds at the Paris Diamond League meeting.
The remarkable achievement has added an extra layer of challenge for the Moroccan athlete, who now faces the task of surpassing the newly set record.
But El Bakkali is determined to leave his mark on the history of the 3,000-meter steeplechase event, fully understanding that the world record is the final frontier for him to conquer.
Although the Moroccan athlete did not break the world record during the Rabat Diamond League, he achieved an extraordinary feat, claiming the World’s Best Performance (WBP) of the year in the 3000m steeplechase event.
El Bakkali, who finished the race in 7 minutes, 56 seconds, and 68 milliseconds, celebrated his achievement by saying: “I can’t describe my happiness for achieving the meeting record, personal best, and world lead.”
He added: “My aim was to break the world record but I got tired on the last leap. Now I will rest to get ready for my next competitions and especially for the World Championships where my aim is to keep my title.”
