Moroccan Olympic steeplechase champion El Bakkali dazzles in front of home crowd in Rabat

Moroccan athletics sensation Soufiane El Bakkali won the 3000-meter steeplechase in impressive fashion, shattering the Rabat Diamond League meeting record, clocking a world-leading time of 7:58.28.

El Bakkali thrilled the home crowd at Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah at Sunday’s meeting, surging ahead rival Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma with about 100 meters to go to win the race. Girma also broke the eight-minute barrier, finishing in 7.59.24. The rivals combined for the same 1-2 result as at the Tokyo 2020 Games.

In Tokyo, El Bakkali became the first Moroccan Olympic gold medalist in the event, snapping a streak of nine consecutive victories by Kenyan runners. Four years prior, El Bakkali finishing fourth at Rio 2016.

On his Instagram, El Bakkali posted a photo of him taking on a barrier with the caption “Giving the crowd what they came for.” He also noted that he hopes more major athletics meetings will come to Africa in the future.

El Bakkali’s time of 7:58.28 was the world’s best in the event in four years. El Bakkali was swarmed by young Moroccan track fans as he attempted to leave the arena.

The 26-year-old Moroccan steeplechaser has also won silver and bronze medals at the previous two world championships and will attempt to add gold to his collection next month in Eugene, Oregon.

All didn’t go nearly as well for Norwegian 400m hurdle Olympic and world champion Karsten Warholm. Making his 2022 season debut and seeking his third Diamond League title, Warholms’s race ended abruptly as he was forced to pull up only after clearing the first hurdle due to an apparent hamstring injury.

The 400m world record holder slightly clipped the first hurdle with his right trail leg. He then took several more steps before coming to a stop while grabbing at the back of his right thigh.

As the race finished with American Khalifah Rosser triumphant in 48.25 seconds, Warholm appeared to be rubbing a bag of ice on his leg, while still on the track where his race ended.

“It’s probably a cramp in my hamstring,” Warholm said. “Hopefully, I’ll come back stronger. I just need to fix this, see what’s going on.”

The incident ended Warholm’s 18-meet 400m hurdles win streak dating to the start of 2019, according to Tilastopaja.org.

The meeting in Rabat on Sunday was the fourth of this season’s Wanda Diamond League circuit, and first in three years as the previous two editions were canceled due to the pandemic.

Jamaican five-time Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah was fastest in the women’s 100m, stopping the clock in 10.83 seconds. Her performance comes just eight days after she ran 10.79 to win the previous Diamond League meeting in Eugene, Oregon, at the upcoming world championships venue. Her winning time set the third meeting record in Rabat.

The 29-year-old Thompson-Herah is undefeated this outdoor season, but has yet to go head-to-head with her Jamaican nemesis Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who owns the top time in 2022 of 10.67.

Greek long jumper Miltiadis Tentoglou followed in Thompson-Herah’s footsteps as another Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion who was victorious in Morocco.

Tentoglou, also the 2022 world indoor champion in the event, soared 8.27m in the fourth round to take top honors. He snatched victory away from Swiss decathlete Simon Ehammer, who posted an 8.11m mark in the previous round.

Despite Tentoglou’s victory, Ehammer hung on to his world leading jump of 8.45m, which he set at last weekend’s renowned combined events competition in Götzis, Austria.

Like Warholm, American Olympic pole vault champion Katie Nageotte was another athlete who struggled on Sunday, albeit under vastly different circumstances. Nageotte’s couldn’t find her Olympic winning form, her competition ending quickly as she failed to clear the opening height of 4.30m. Nageotte’s U.S. teammate and Rio 2016 silver medalist Sandi Morris, won the event with a best height of 4.65m. Rio 2016 Olympic champion Katerina Stefanidi of Greece finished third with a jump of 4.55m.

Ukrainian high jumpers Yaroslava Mahuchikh and Iryna Geraschenko, wearing badges pinned to their uniforms in support of Ukraine’s resistance to the Russian invasion of their homeland, took first and second place in the event.

Mahuchikh, 20, the Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist and 2022 world indoor champion, won the meet with a first attempt clearance of 1.96m, before three misses after she raised the bar to 2.01m. Her Ukrainian teammate Geraschenko took second with a best leap of 1.93m.

The Wanda Diamond League series continues with the Golden Gala at Rome’s Olympic Stadium at the Foro Italico this Thursday, June 9th.

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