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Soufiane El Bakkali

Moroccan steeplechase runner From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Soufiane El Bakkali

Soufiane El Bakkali (Arabic: سفيان البقالي; born 7 January 1996[4]) is a Moroccan middle-distance runner who specializes in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He is a two-time Olympic champion, having won gold in the event at both the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics. He has also achieved significant success at the World Athletics Championships, securing back-to-back gold medals in 2022 and 2023. El Bakkali was also the 2022 Diamond League champion in his specialist event and is known for breaking Kenya's decades-long dominance in the steeplechase.

Quick Facts Personal information, Born ...
Soufiane El Bakkali
El Bakkali in 2022
Personal information
Born (1996-01-07) 7 January 1996 (age 29)
Fez, Morocco
Height1.94 (6'4)[1]
Weight71 kg (157 lb)[1]
Sport
CountryMorocco
SportAthletics
Event3000 metres steeplechase
ClubFCC Fes[2]
Coached byKarim Tlemcani[2]
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking1st (2023)[3]
Personal best
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Morocco
Olympic Games
2020 Tokyo3000 m st.
2024 Paris3000 m st.
World Championships
2022 Eugene3000 m st.
2023 Budapest3000 m st.
2017 London3000 m st.
2019 Doha3000 m st.
Diamond League
20223000 m st.
All-Africa Games
2019 Rabat3000 m st.
African Championships
2018 Asaba3000 m st.
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Career

Summarize
Perspective

At age 18, El Bakkali placed fourth in the 3000 m steeplechase at the 2014 World Junior Championships in Athletics, and then made his senior debut at the 2014 African Championships in Athletics, placing tenth in the event.[5] He also competed in cross country running and was 18th as a junior at the 2015 IAAF World Cross Country Championships.[4]

He gained selection for Morocco at the 2016 Summer Olympics after a personal best of 8:14.41 minutes to take fourth in his specialist event at the Herculis meeting.[6] At the Rio Olympics, El Bakkali improved his personal best further to 8:14.35 minutes and finished fourth.[7]

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El Bakkali during the 2017 Golden Gala, Rome

He won the silver medal at the 2017 World Championships held in London in a time of 8:14.49 behind only Conseslus Kipruto who ran 8:14.12. Two years later, at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar El Bakkali earned a bronze with a season's best of 8:03.76 behind Kipruto (8:01.35) and Lamecha Girma (8:01.36).[4]

On 3 September 2020, he won the 1500 metres race at the 14th International Marseille Athletics Meeting in France.[8]

El Bakkali qualified to represent Morocco at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics[9] where he won the gold medal in his signature event with a time of 8:08.90, ahead of Girma in 8:10.38 and Benjamin Kigen (8:11.45). He thus became the first non-Kenyan-born athlete to win the title since Poland's Bronislaw Malinowski did so at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, and the first non-Kenyan born gold medallist at the Olympics or World Championships since 1987.[10][11] On 18 September 2021, El Bakkali won his speciality event at the Kip Keino Classic meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, finishing with an 8:21.20 clocking.[12][13]

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El Bakkali in the 2022 World Athletics Championships

On 18 July 2022 at the World Athletics Championships held in Eugene, Oregon, El Bakkali became the world champion, winning the gold medal in the 3000 m steeplechase with a time of 8:25.13 ahead of Lamecha Girma (8:26.01) and Conseslus Kipruto (8:27.92).[14] In September at the Diamond League final in Zürich, he claimed his first Diamond Trophy. Just three days later, he capped his fine season with an African best in the 2000 m steeplechase, running 5:14.06 at the Hanžeković Memorial in Zagreb to move to third on the world all-time list for the event.[15] El Bakkali was undefeated and ran the fastest time in the world that season, clocking 7:58.28 at Rabat Diamond League. In November, he was shortlisted for the World Athletics Male Athlete of the Year award.[16]

On 22 August 2023, El Bakkali won his second World Championship gold medal in the 2023 World Athletics Championships after placing first in the final race with a time of 8:03.53.[17][18]

On 7 August 2024, at the Paris Olympics, El Bakkali defended his Olympic title in the 3000 m steeplechase, winning in a time of 8:06.05. He overtook American Kenneth Rooks in the final straightaway, who took the lead in the bell lap.[19]

Personal life

On 14 September 2023, El Bakkali donated some of his blood for the needy affected by the 2023 Marrakesh-Safi earthquake.[20]

Achievements

International competitions

More information Year, Competition ...
Representing  Morocco
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
2014 World Junior Championships Eugene, OR, United States 4th 3000 m s'chase 8:34.98
African Championships Marrakesh, Morocco 10th 3000 m s'chase 8:59.66
2016 Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 4th 3000 m s'chase 8:14.35
2017 World Championships London, United Kingdom 2nd 3000 m s'chase 8:14.49
2018 Mediterranean Games Tarragona, Spain 1st 3000 m s'chase 8:20.97
African Championships Asaba, Nigeria 2nd 3000 m s'chase 8:28.01
2019 African Games Rabat, Morocco 3rd 3000 m s'chase 8:19.45
World Championships Doha, Qatar 3rd 3000 m s'chase 8:03.76
2021 Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan – 1500 m DNF
1st 3000 m s'chase 8:08.90
2022 World Championships Eugene, OR, United States 1st 3000 m s'chase 8:25.13
2023 World Championships Budapest, Hungary 1st 3000 m s'chase 8:03.53
2024 Olympic Games Paris, France 1st 3000 m s'chase 8:06.05
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Circuit wins and titles

3000 metres steeplechase wins, other events specified in parentheses
3000 metres steeplechase wins, other events specified in parentheses

Personal bests

Awards

References

External links

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