Paris (AFP)
Two world titles and two Olympic titles, no one can stand in the way of Moroccan runner Soufiane El Bakkali, whether it is obstacles or specialists, Kenyan runners or even Ethiopians.
What Al Bakkali did in the final round of the 3,000m race is an achievement that will remain immortal for many years. With his great experience and wisdom, he retained the Olympic title, achieving a rare quadruple.
The proof, the achievement of retaining the Olympic title in the race was done before him by the Finn Volmari Esoo-Hulu in 1932 and 1936, almost a century ago.
The 28-year-old grocer has won the yellow metal in the last three major championships. After tasting gold at the Tokyo Olympics in the summer of 2021 when he became the first non-Kenyan runner to win the Olympic title in the 3,000m steeplechase since 1980, he confirmed that he is the “king” of the race, ending the Kenyans’ 15-year dominance of it in the World Championships when he won gold in Eugene, USA.
He became the third Arab athlete to win twice at the Olympic Games after his compatriot Hicham El Guerrouj (1500m and 5000m in Athens 2004) and Tunisian swimmer Oussama Mellouli (1500m freestyle in Beijing 2008 and 10km in open water in London 2012).
Qatari Mutaz Barshim has a chance to join this small club of champions if he wins gold in the high jump competition.
Runners from neighboring Kenya and Ethiopia inadvertently planned to deprive El Bakkali of retaining his title when they massed at the front, slowing him down and closing all the avenues for him.
The son of the city of Fez realized the trap that the sons of his dark continent intended to set for him (three Kenyans and three Ethiopians, including the world record holder Lamecha Girma).
Quickly, the grocer turned around and found the “savior”, his fellow countryman Ahmed Tindouft, who had deservedly booked his ticket to the final round.
Al-Baqali said after the race: “There was an Ethiopian plan, and thank God my fellow Tindouft was with me. I asked him during the race to do anything to help me, so he started towards the front and raised the pace to break the Ethiopian block.”
Al-Baqali breathed a sigh of relief as the front group dispersed, but was surprised by a quick start by the American runner Kenneth Ross before the last 300m in an attempt to exhaust the Moroccan runner, who is already distinguished by his final speed, which he used at the right time, and took off like an arrow after the last barrier, crossing the finish line with great ease.
He started shouting in front of the stadium camera, “Mother, you did it again,” and ran happily towards his coach, Karim Tlemsani, hugged him and carried the Moroccan flag to do an honorary lap around the stadium. On his way, he saw the president of the Moroccan Federation, Abdel Salam Ahizoune, who was in the stands with the fans, so he hugged him and received his congratulations.
He expressed his great happiness after the coronation, and said, crying: “I succeeded, worked hard, and prepared well to win this medal. This year was not easy for me. I was suffering from an injury, but I was able to overcome it.”
He explained that he was on his way to not participating in the Paris Olympics, “but I changed my decision thanks to the help of my coach and the Moroccan Federation to overcome my ordeal and recover.”
Al-Baqali distanced himself from anything that could distract him, and even refrained from making media statements. “I refused to speak to the media because I was not in good shape. The injury spoiled my mood, especially since I had high hopes for the Paris Olympics.”
He added, “I am indebted to the Moroccan fans who never stopped supporting me with their messages that I could not respond to, and to the current and former champions.”
Al-Baqali commented on his tears, saying: “Forgive me, I now understand what I did. I entered history with this second consecutive Olympic title. These titles are the result of long-term and distant work, not now. Since 2021, I have been aspiring to raise the torch and control this race, and thank God I have been successful so far.”
El Bakkali achieved what was expected of him and saved the face of Moroccan sports as he has always done in recent years, but the most important thing for him is that he continued to break the Kenyan hegemony.
His ambition is much greater: “I hope to continue to achieve the quintuple as long as this year there are Olympics and next year there is the World Championship in Tokyo.”
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