Rabat – Moroccan star Soufiane El Bakkali finished second in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Silesia Diamond League meeting in Poland on Sunday, as Ethiopia’s Gemechu Godana produced a personal best to take the win.
El Bakkali, the reigning Olympic and world champion, stopped the clock at 8:04.61. Godana edged ahead with a time of 8:02.74, setting a new personal record as he secured a notable victory over one of the event’s most decorated athletes.
The Moroccan did not find the winning finish on this occasion, but his performance once again placed him among the leading contenders in a discipline he has dominated on the global stage in recent years.
Morocco still had reason to celebrate, as Salah Eddine Ben Yazide completed the podium. The 3,000m steeplechase runner crossed the line in 8:05.08, also a personal best, to claim third place.
The result gave Morocco two spots on the Silesia podium and added another strong performance to El Bakkali’s season as he continues his campaign at the highest level of international athletics.
El Bakkali’s second-place finish in Silesia comes after a strong run of performances that has cemented his status as one of the world’s leading steeplechasers. In July 2025, the Moroccan won the 3,000m steeplechase at the Monaco Diamond League in 8:03.18, finishing ahead of Japan’s Ryuji Miura and Kenya’s Edmond Serem. Fellow Moroccan Salah Eddine Ben Yazide placed fourth.
The victory added to an already remarkable record for El Bakkali, who claimed Olympic gold at both Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. His second Olympic title made him the first man since the 1930s to successfully defend an Olympic steeplechase crown.
He has also twice won the world title, with victories in 2022 and 2023 that helped break Kenya’s long-standing grip on the event. El Bakkali’s personal best of 7:56.68, set in Rabat in 2023, ranks among the fastest times ever recorded in the discipline.
Beyond his medal haul, El Bakkali has built a reputation for his calculated approach to racing. He often stays patient through the early stages before unleashing his trademark speed in the final lap, a strategy that has helped establish him as one of the most accomplished steeplechasers of his generation.
