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Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali retained his Olympic 3000m steeplechase title on Wednesday to develop into simply the third Arab to win double gold as world report holder Lamecha Girma suffered a worrying fall, at Paris Olympics 2024. El Bakkali timed 8min 06.05sec for victory with American Kenneth Rooks taking silver in 8:06.41 and Kenya’s Abraham Kibiwot claiming bronze (8:06.47). Ethiopia’s Girma was left inclined on the monitor after falling at a hurdle earlier than being ultimately stretchered off.
Girma was taken to hospital, in keeping with a supply on the Ethiopian athletics federation, however was not present process surgical procedure.
El Bakkali grew to become the second man to efficiently defend his Olympic steeplechase title after Volmari Iso-Hollo of Finland final achieved the feat on the 1936 Berlin Video games, however mentioned the 12 months had “not been straightforward”.
“I used to be affected by an damage and I used to be in a position to overcome it,” mentioned El Bakkali, who was in a position to break Ethiopian staff techniques with the assistance of his personal teammate Mohamed Tindouft.
“The race was not straightforward. There was an Ethiopian plan, and thank God my compatriot Tindouft helped me. I requested him throughout the race to do something to assist me, so he pushed himself in the direction of the entrance and raised the tempo to interrupt the Ethiopian block.”
El Bakkali admitted that his damage issues had even left him considering he may not take part in Paris.
“Forgive me, I now perceive what I did,” he mentioned, in tears after the race.
“I entered historical past with this second consecutive Olympic title, and I owe it to the Moroccan followers who didn’t cease supporting me with their messages that I used to be unable to reply to, and to the present and former champions.”
The 28-year-old El Bakkali arrived on the Olympics with a goal on his again, having gained the final three international championships.
After first triumphing on the Covid-delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, when he grew to become the primary non-Kenyan runner to win the Olympic steeplechase title since 1980, he confirmed his standing with back-to-back victories in world championships in Eugene and Budapest.
His second Olympic gold within the French capital leaves him in uncommon firm amongst Arab athletes to have doubled up on the Summer time Video games.
Solely his Moroccan compatriot Hicham El Guerrouj, who gained 1500m and 5,000m gold in Athens 2004, and Tunisian swimmer Oussama Mellouli (1500m freestyle in Beijing 2008 and 10km marathon in London 2012) have achieved the feat.
Whereas El Bakkali sped away for victory, there was concern for Girma, the world report holder who fell badly on the third-last barrier.
Girma clipped the hurdle along with his knee and plunged head first into the monitor. He was left inclined and immobile, earlier than receiving medical remedy.
He ultimately left the monitor on a stretcher along with his neck secured by a brace.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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