Morocco’s Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali and Ethiopian world record holder Lamecha Girma are ready to face off in the Paris Olympic 3,000 meters steeplechase after easily advancing through the initial heats on Monday and made it to the finals.
El Bakkali has the bigger prize haul, with two world golds to match his Tokyo triumph, while Girma broke the world record last year and is now vying for the Moroccan Olympic title after finishing second three years ago.
He took the lead on the penultimate lap, effortlessly moving through the field before crossing the finish line first in his heat in 8:17.90.
His prior accolades and good track record have raised anticipation for this year’s events. Furthermore, expectations were high for the runner to achieve a big performance following a string of dismal performances by Moroccan athletes.
The Moroccan Olympic and world champion Soufiane El Bakkali won the 3,000-meter steeplechase in the Wanda Diamond League, currently held in Xiamen (China) in September 2023.
The runner won two gold medals in the World Athletics Championships, in 2022 and 2023.
He also dominated the 3,000 m steeplechase event for the second year in a row, at the 15th Mohammed VI International Athletics Meeting in Marrakech in May.
The Moroccan runner is well-known for his achievements in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. He won the gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Moroccan Olympic and World Champion El Bakkali has been named the second-best male athlete of 2023, announced the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA).
He seems to be Morocco’s last hope to earn a medal at the Paris Olympics, as until now, the Moroccan delegation failed to secure a medal in any competition.