Rabat – Moroccan athlete Abdelati El Guesse has qualified for the 800 meters semi-finals of the 19th World Indoor Athletics Championships, held between March 1-3 in the Scottish city of Glasgow.
Competing in the second qualifying heat, El Guesse finished the race in second place with a time of 1 minute 46 seconds, and 29 milliseconds, thus securing a spot in the championship’s semi-finals.
Social media analysts praised El Guesse for his easy passage through the 800m short track series and qualification for the semi-finals, saying that the Moroccan athlete has recently shown a great deal of tactical maturity.
They added that instead of wasting energy rubbing up against the center of the pack, El Guesse now grabs the lead and grips the rope to impose his rhythm.
The race finished with the American Bryce Hoppel coming first with a time of 1 minute 46 seconds, and 15 milliseconds, while the third place went to Kenya’s Noah Kibet 1 minute 46 seconds and 90 milliseconds.
Hoppel was trailing Morocco’s El Guesse at the bell, but the American went on to win in 1:46.15 and move on to the semi-finals.
“It felt great. I raced exactly how I wanted to,” Hoppel told the media after the race.
At previous World Indoor Athletics Championships, Morocco won a total of 19 medals, including 6 gold, 5 silver and 8 bronze.
Read also: Moroccan Abdelati El Guesse Storms Into 800m Semifinals at World Athletics Championship
