Photo: Collected
Soufiane El Bakkali will bid to defend his 3000m steeplechase at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday and become just the third Arab to win double gold.
Only his Moroccan compatriot Hicham El Guerrouj, who won 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.
While El Guerrouj headlined a strong Moroccan athletics team, which consistently won medals at world championships as well as Olympics, there has been a marked decline in recent years.
It falls on the Fes-born El Bakkali to shoulder the burden of bagging more gold for the north African country.
The 28-year-old certainly arrives in Paris with a target on his back, having won the last three global championships.
After first triumphing at the Covid-delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, when he became the first non-Kenyan runner to win the Olympic steeplechase title since 1980, he confirmed his status with back-to-back victories in world championships in Eugene and Budapest.
"Covid-19 was beneficial to me," the Moroccan said. "Instead of waiting every two years to take part in a global championships, I participated in one a year and claimed three gold medals.
"I hope to achieve five golds, what with the Paris Olympics and next year's world championships in Tokyo."
Messenger/Disha
