RARE ARE steeples in which Soufiane El Bakkali loses. The last before this one was in the DL Final of 2021, 5 weeks after the Moroccan won the first of his two OG golds.
At the end here form went out the window — though it’s worth noting El Bakkali steepled just once in ’24 before the Olympics. That was in May at the Marrakech DL, after which he confessed he’d been dealing with an injury. Eleven weeks later, there he was taking gold in Paris. He followed with a win over Amos Serem at the Silesia DL on August 25.
As for pacing here, with all other targets unrealistic, the Wavelights and pacers were scheduled for a world lead, faster than Lamecha Girma’s 8:01.63 at the Stockholm DL.
That plan proceeded apace through the first kilo in 2:40.89 — and went out the window in the second K, 5:28.97, a 2:48.08 split. It would be a simple race for the trophy.
El Bakkali hovered back around 5th place for most of the third K, not atypical, as leading fell to Serem. The ’21 World Junior champ, Serem’s record versus El Bakkali was 0–9. He had never won a DL race.
The pack revved up for the last lap and before the bell El Bakkali moved into 3rd behind Serem and Paris bronze medalist Abraham Kibiwot. OG silver medalist Kenneth Rooks had fallen and injured a shoulder in Chorzów and was back to his studies at BYU.
El Bakkali ran up to Serem’s shoulder in the penultimate turn, but the Kenyan sprinted, his mechanics sharp, on the backstretch and away off the last waterjump to win by 9 meters 8:06.90–8:08.60. For once, the master’s final flourish was absent. Serem’s last 100 went in 14.9. Not bad with a barrier to get over.
Results
1. Amos Serem (Ken) 8:06.90 (5:28.97); 2. Soufiane El Bakkali (Mor) 8:08.60; 3. Mohamed Amin Jihnaoui (Tun) 8:09.68; 4. Abraham Kibiwot (Ken) 8:10.51; 5. Daniel Arce (Spa) 8:10.88; 6. Mohamed Tindoufti (Mor) 8:10.93; 7. Getnet Wale (Eth) 8:14.66; 8. Samuel Firewu (Eth) 8:15.86;… rabbit—Abderrafia Bouassel (Mor) (2:40.89).
