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Rabat – Moroccan runner Soufiane El Bakkali, competing in the men’s 3000m steeplechase qualifier, clinched a decisive victory today at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024, securing his place in the final.
El Bakkali, who electrified the athletics world with his exceptional performance in Tokyo 2020, entered the race as a clear favorite.
His previous accolades and impressive track record set high expectations for this year’s games. In addition, hopes were high for the runner to deliver a strong performance after a series of disappointing performances from Moroccan athletes.
El Bakkali’s race was a showcase of both strategic pacing and raw endurance. As the runners navigated the challenging course, it became evident that the competition was fierce.
The Moroccan runner is renowned for his prowess in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. He secured the gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, as well as a fourth-place finish at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
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El Bakkali earned two gold medals at the World Athletics Championships, with victories in 2022 and 2023.
His other achievements include a third-place finish at the 2019 African Games and second place at the 2018 African Championships.
During his participation in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, El Bakkali won gold in his specialty with a time of 8:08.90 after finishing ahead of Ethiopia’s Girma and Kenya’s Benjamin Kigen.
By doing so, he became the first athlete not born in Kenya to win the steeplechase title since Poland’s Bronislaw Malinowski at the 1980 Moscow Olympics and the first non-Kenyan-born gold medallist at the Olympics or World Championships since 1987.
