RABAT, MOROCCO, May 25 — The boisterous crowd at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium was entertained by a string of outstanding performances at the season’s only Diamond League stop in Africa, but for most of the fans, the final event of the evening was the main reason they filled the seats. And they did not leave disappointed after Moroccan steeplechase star Soufiane El Bakkali notched his fourth straight win at the Meeting International Mohammed VI de Rabat.
Coming off a rare two-meet losing streak — the ’24 Diamond League Final and this year’s Xiamen DL in April — the two-time Olympic champion regained his aura of invincibility in a strong performance. El Bakkali followed a swift early pace and pushed hard over the final three laps to win in 8:00.70. Giving the race a burst of drama was Frederik Ruppert, who had worked his way through the field and was steadily closing down on the Moroccan. Ruppert couldn’t match El Bakkali’s final kick, but was rewarded with a German record 8:01.49, smashing his previous PR, the 8:15.05 he ran for 4th at last year’s European Championships, and jumping to No. 7 on the “non-Kenyan born” all-time list, a remarkable compilation attesting to that East African nation’s historical impact on the event.
Paris Olympian Matthew Wilkinson improved his best by 5.48 seconds to 8:11.11 in 7th. That moved the 25-year-old Minnesota alum to No. 8 on the U.S. ATL.
Earlier in the evening, Tshepiso Masalela celebrated his 26th birthday by dominating a crowded 13-man field to win his second DL 800 of the season in a PR 1:42.70. “I was sure that for someone to beat me today it would take him to go 1:41 — which I am ready to go to,” the Botswanan star, a finalist at both the ’23 Worlds and ’24 Olympics, told meet organizers. “Nobody was pushing [after the pacemaker dropped out] so I made sure I followed the plan and pushed hard until the finish line.”
In his wake, Max Burgin (1:43.34 PR) barely held off fast-closing Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi (1:43.37) for 2nd, while Brandon Miller took 4th in a PR 1:43.52 and climbed to No. 12 on the U.S. all-time list.
Jonah Koech emerged from the pack over the final 100 meters to take the 1500 in 3:31.43, just ahead of Reynold Kipkorir (3:31.78), who had used a big kick to win the Doha 5000 a week earlier.
For 800 specialist Koech it was a PR by nearly 6 seconds — and moved the Texas Tech alum to No. 11 on the all-time U.S. list. “I’m just using the 1500 to be ready for the 800,” said the Baltimore-based Koech, who finished 5th in the 2-lapper at last year’s Olympic Trials. “Because you see these guys, how they are running now, you need speed endurance in order to catch up with [them]. They are not playing.”
Jacory Patterson continued his breakthrough season with a come-from-behind win over Zakithi Nene in the 400, taking the lead in the final strides, 44.37 to 44.46. “It feels great to be the fastest man of the year and to race in this circuit, my first Diamond League race ever,” said Patterson, a semifinalist at the ’24 Olympic Trials who has established himself as a bona fide star this year, taking bronze at World Indoors in March then a PR 43.98 to win the Miami Grand Slam on May 3. “This is crazy. I worked hard, just as everyone else, that´s it. There is no other explanation than that for the progress I made. For sure I can go much faster. It’s still early in the season and I don’t wanna peak right now, but there is much more in the tank.”
Olympic champion Quincy Hall never threatened for the lead, but took 3rd in 44.90, a significant improvement of his season-opening 45.99 in the Shanghai Diamond League.
Rajindra Campbell moved into the shot put lead in the fifth round with a 72-¼ (21.95), passing Payton Otterdahl, who had paced the competition since the opening round with his 71-7½ (21.83). Otterdahl responded with a 72-1 (21.97) heave in the final frame to jump back on top. Joe Kovacs was 3rd at 70-7¼ (21.52).
The fast-starting Ferdinand Omanyala led the 100 through about 70 meters before Akani Simbine stormed through for the win in 9.95 (wind: 0.6), continuing his undefeated season in the event. Omanyala (10.05) held the runner-up spot over Fred Kerley (10.07).
Letsile Tebogo struggled home in 9th in 10.43 then scratched from the 200, held a little over an hour later. In his absence, Courtney Lindsey — who Tebogo edged in Doha — won in 20.04 ahead of Joe Fahnbulleh (20.12) and Kerley (20.16).
Olympic champion Hamish Kerr won the high jump with an initial clearance at 7-4½ (2.25), while Marco Fassinotti needed a pair of attempts at that height and settled for second.
RABAT DL MEN’S RESULTS
100(0.6): 1. Akani Simbine (SA) 9.95; 2. Ferdinand Omanyala (Ken) 10.05; 3. Fred Kerley (US) 10.07; 4. Emmanuel Eseme (Cam) 10.10; 5. Brandon Hicklin (US) 10.11; 6. Shaun Maswanganyi (SA) 10.19; 7. Jeff Erius (Fra) 10.25; 8. Kyree King (US) 10.28; 9. Letsile Tebogo (Bot) 10.43.
200(0.4): 1. Courtney Lindsey (US) 20.04; 2. Joe Fahnbulleh (Lbr) 20.12; 3. Kerley 20.16; 4. Robert Gregory (US) 20.26;
5. Wayde van Niekerk (SA) 20.26; 6. King 20.28.
400: 1. Jacory Patterson (US) 44.37; 2. Zakithi Nene (SA) 44.46; 3. Quincy Hall (US) 44.90; 4. Bryce Deadmon (US) 44.97; 5. Christopher Morales Williams (Can) 45.16; 6. Johnnie Blockburger (US) 45.55; 7. Leungo Scotch (Bot) 45.89.
800: 1. Tshepiso Masalela (Bot) 1:42.70 PR (WL);
2. Max Burgin (GB) 1:43.34 PR; 3. Emmanuel Wanyonyi (Ken) 1:43.37; 4. Brandon Miller (US) 1:43.52 PR; 5. Kethobogile Haingura (Bot) 1:43.82; 6. Wycliffe Kinyamal (Ken) 1:44.63; 7. Abderrahman El Assal (Mor) 1:44.70 PR; 8. Yanis Meziane (Fra) 1:44.95;… rabbit—Patryk Sieradzki (Pol) (49.99).
1500: 1. Jonah Koech (US) 3:31.43 PR; 2. Reynold Kipkorir (Ken) 3:31.78; 3. Festus Lagat (Ken) 3:32.06 PR; 4. Azeddine Habz (Fra) 3:32.25 (2:50.61); 5. Anass Essayi (Mor) 3:32.88; 6. Vincent Ciattei (US) 3:32.94; 7. Ruben Verheyden (Bel) 3:33.19 PR; 8. Cathal Doyle (Ire) 3:33.32; 9. Vincent Keter (Ken) 3:33.33; 10. Jude Thomas (Aus) 3:33.35 PR; 11. Brian Komen (Ken) 3:34.38; 12. El Hassane Moujahid (Mor) 3:35.38 PR; 13. Samuel Tanner (NZ) 3:35.48; 14. Romain Mornet (Fra) 3:35.59; 15. Tshepo Tshite (SA) 3:36.22; 16. Hafid Rizky (Mor) 3:36.67;… rabbit—Boaz Kiprugut (Ken) (55.18, 56.91 [1:52.09]).
St: 1. Soufiane El Bakkali (Mor) 8:00.70 (WL) (5:21.19);
2. Frederik Ruppert (Ger) 8:01.49 NR (7, x non-Kenyan); 3. Edmund Serem (Ken) 8:07.47 PR; 4. Samuel Firewu (Eth) 8:09.98; 5. Daniel Arce (Spa) 8:10.58; 6. Mohamed Amine Jihnaoui (Tun) 8:10.59;
7. Matthew Wilkinson (US) 8:11.11 PR (AL) (8, x A);
8. Salaheddine Ben Yazide (Mor) 8:11.40 PR; 9. Djilali Bedrani (Fra) 8:11.52; 10. Hailemariyam Amare (Eth) 8:11.80; 11. Alexis Miellet (Fra) 8:12.89 PR; 12. Abraham Kibiwott (Ken) 8:13.20; 13. Ryuji Miura (Jpn) 8:13.39; 14. Luc Le Baron (Fra) 8:13.70 PR; 15. Ahmed Jaziri (Tun) 8:18.00;… rabbit—Abderrafia Bouassel (Mor) (2:38.52).
Field Events
HJ: 1. Hamish Kerr (NZ) 7-4½ (2.25); 2. tie, Marco Fassinotti (Ita) & Yual Reath (Aus) 7-4½; 4. JuVaughn Harrison (US) 7-4½; 5. tie, Romaine Beckford (Jam) & Shelby McEwen (US) 7-3 (2.21); 7. Donald Thomas (Bah) 7-3;… 11. tie, Saad Hammouda (Mor) & Vernon Turner (US) 7-1.
SP: 1. Payton Otterdahl (US) 72-1 (21.97) (71-7½, 69-4¼, 71-0, 69-7½, f, 72-1) (21.83, 21.14, 21.64, 21.22, f, 21.97); 2. Rajindra Campbell (Jam) 72-¼ (21.95) (69-1½, 69-¾, 70-2¼, f, 72-¼, 70-9¾) (21.07, 21.05, 21.39, f, 21.95, 21.58); 3. Joe Kovacs (US) 70-7¼ (21.52); 4. Tripp Piperi (US) 70-5¼ (21.47); 5. Jordan Geist (US) 70-3½ (21.42); 6. Tom Walsh (NZ) 70-3 (21.41); 7. Chuk Enekwechi (Ngr) 70-1¾ (21.38); 8. Leonardo Fabbri (Ita) 69-0 (21.03); 9. Roger Steen (US) 68-4¼ (20.83); 10. Andrei Toader (Rom) 66-3 (20.19); 11. Zane Weir (Ita) 65-11¾ (20.11).
