The Moroccan champion broke a long olympic streak of Kenyan wins this Monday, securing Morocco’s first medal since the start of the Tokyo Summer Olympics.
Soufiane El Bakkali, Morocco’s greatest hope during the disappointing (for Moroccan athletes) Japanese Olympics, lived up to expectations this Monday by striking gold in the 3000m steeplechase.
The Fez-born Olympic Champion interrupted Kenya’s reign over the 3000m category in 2008, and revived Moroccans’ hope for another Guerrouj-like double coronation, as it was the case in 2004.
In a statement to the press shortly after his win, the 25-year-old champion was at a loss for words, saying this was “a dream coming true, after years of hard work.”
He thanked his coach - whom he “considers like a father” - and his friends and family.
The athlete then dedicated the win to the Morocaan people and to King Mohammed VI, “for his constant support of the sports sector and Moroccan athletes.”
He said, “I couldn’t wait for the day when I could gift my dear country an Olympic medal.”
El Bakkali’s triumph prompted international media interest, with commentators and fans celebrating the fact that the Moroccan Olympic champion is the first non-Kenyan to win the gold medal in the 3000m steeplechase since 1980.
The 3000m steeplechase is a specialty of Kenyans, who have maintained their hold on the coveted top spot for the last 9 Olympic Games held between 1984 and 2016.
Before El Bakkali, the Polish "Bronislaw Malinowski" was the last non-Kenyan to win gold in this distance, in the 1980 Olympics.
When asked about how he managed to outrank revered Kenyan and Ethyopian athletes to win over the title, he stated, “Since the Doha games, the Kenyan hegemony on the 3000m steeplechase was changing, as new runners from different nationalities were able to prove themselves.”
He added that he “came prepared,” and knew many of the Kenyan and Ethyopian runners he was competing against.
The Moroccan gold medalist also took the time to thank his parents, saying they “can now be proud of their Olympian Champion son.”
Source: Morocco World News.