Morocco’s El Bakkali Wins 3,000m Steeplechase World Gold

Sports

July 19th, 6:43am

Asharq Al-Awsat

Soufiane El Bakkali of Team Morocco celebrates after winning gold in the Men's 3000m Steeplechase Final on day four of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 18, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon. (Getty Images/AFP)

Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali surged past Lamecha Girma of Ethiopia to win 3,000 meters steeplechase gold at the World Championships on Monday. The Olympic champion had stayed near the back of the leading pack for much of the race before making the decisive move in the last 200m at Hayward Field. Girma had to settle for silver once again after finishing second in Tokyo and in Doha three years ago, with Kenyan Conseslus Kipruto taking bronze. There was a bizarre moment earlier in the race when the field was forced to dodge a camera operator who was standing in the middle of the track with his back to the competitors.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3766096/morocco%E2%80%99s-el-bakkali-wins-3000m-steeplechase-world-gold