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El-Bakkali ends Kenya reign with steeplechase gold / Photo: Jim WATSON - AFP
El-Bakkali ends Kenya reign with steeplechase gold
Olympic champion Soufiane El-Bakkali of Morocco produced a tactical masterclass to storm to victory in the men’s 3000m steeplechase at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon on Monday.
El-Bakkali took his time before surging into the lead with just under 200m to go at Eugene's Hayward Field, with a lethal late kick powering him to gold in a time of 8min 25.13sec.
Ethiopia's Lamecha Girma – silver medallist behind El Bakkali at last year’s Tokyo Olympics – was second in 8:26.01.
Kenya’s reigning world champion Conseslus Kipruto took bronze in 8:27.92.
El-Bakkali's victory brought an end to Kenya's 15-year dominance of the steeplechase at the world championships.
Kenyan runners have won gold in the event in every edition of the championships since Brimin Kipruto's gold in Osaka in 2007.
E.Fritsch--BlnAP
