Assahafa.com
Double world and Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali and his compatriot Salaheddine Ben Yazide qualified on Saturday for the finals of the 3000m steeplechase at the 20th World Athletics Championships, held in Tokyo until September 21 (Tokyo 25).
El Bakkali finished first in the third qualifying heat, clocking a time of 8:26.99, ahead of Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma (8:27.79) and USA’s Daniel Michalski (8:28.76).
Ben Yazide took placed first in the second heat with a time of 8:27.21, ahead of New Zealand’s Geordie Beamish (8:27.23) and Ethiopia’s Samuel Firewu (8:27.54).
The other Moroccans, Mohamed Tindouft and Faid El Mostafa, who competed in the first heat, failed to qualify for the final, finishing 9th (8:35.73) and 11th (8:44.10), respectively.
The top five athletes from each heat qualify for the final on September 15.
Morocco is represented by 20 athletes (14 men and 6 women) at the 20th World Athletics Championships (September 13-21).
Participating at the men’s events (3000m steeplechase) are double world and Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali, Mohamed Tindouft, Salah Eddine Benyazid, and El Mostafa Faid.
Anass Essayi, Fouad Mesaoudi, and Hafid Rizqi will compete in the 1500m, while Saad Hinti will represent Morocco in the 400m hurdles.
Two athletes will compete in the 800m event: Abdarrahman El Assal and Abdelaati El Guess.
Othmane El Goumri, Mohamed Reda El Aaraby, and Soufiyan Bouqantar will take part in the marathon.
For women, Bahiya El Arfaoui will compete in the 1500m, Assia Raziki and Soukaina Hajji in the 800m, and Fatima Ezzahra Gardadi, Rahma Tahiri, and Kaoutar Farkoussi in the marathon.
Morocco has secured a total of 33 medals, including 12 gold, 12 silver, and 9 bronze, in previous editions of the World Athletics Championships.
Source: map
