Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali narrowly edged out Kenya’s rising star Amos Serem at the Silesia Diamond League steeplechase on Sunday in Poland.
Both athletes clocked identical times of 8:04.29, but El Bakkali’s remarkable final push earned him the top spot by a slim margin of a thousandth of a second.
A double Olympic champion, El Bakkali won in a race that featured all three medalists from the Paris Olympic Games.
The race began with Abderrafia Abdousel of Morocco setting a high pace, covering the first 400 meters in 1:00.84 and reaching 1000 meters in 2:40.70. Abdousel’s pacing created an ideal opportunity for El Bakkali, who took over the lead after the halfway mark, reaching 2000 meters in 5:24.78.
Despite a strong challenge from Serem and fellow Kenyan Abraham Kibiwot, El Bakkali maintained his focus and surged in the final 200 meters. His explosive finish allowed him to reel in Serem and secure the victory.
Ethiopian Firewu Samuel finished third with a time of 8:04.34, while Kibiwot, who had been a strong contender, settled for fourth place at 8:08.21. Kibiwot’s performance, a far cry from his Olympic medal-winning form, saw him fall to 16th position, adding to the unpredictability of the event.
This marks the first race for El Bakkali following his stellar run in the 2024 Paris Olympics where he won the Gold Medal.