El Bakkali retains Olympic steeplechase title

PARIS: Soufiane El Bakkali successfully defended his Olympic men’s 3,000 meters steeplechase title, delivering Morocco’s first medal of the Games on Wednesday. El Bakkali finished with a time of 8:06.05, narrowly edging out American Kenneth Rooks, who secured the silver in 8:06.41. Kenya’s Abraham Kibiwot completed the podium with a bronze medal performance.

The victory was, however, overshadowed by a harrowing incident involving Ethiopian world record holder Lamecha Girma. Girma tripped over a barrier on the last lap and suffered a severe fall, lying motionless on the track as medical personnel rushed to his aid.

Girma was seen with his eyes open and wearing a neck brace as he was carried off on a stretcher. He was transported to a hospital, and reports from French media confirmed that he was conscious and able to speak. “Following his fall in the 3,000m steeplechase, Lamecha Girma received immediate care from the on-site medical teams. Our thoughts are with him and we are sending him our very best wishes for a swift recovery,” Paris 2024 stated.