Soufiane El Bakkali

Soufiane El Bakkali (; born 7 January 1996 ) is a Moroccan middle-distance runner who specializes in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He is a two-time Olympic champion, having won gold in the event at both the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics. He has also achieved significant success at the World Athletics Championships, securing back-to-back gold medals in 2022 and 2023. El Bakkali was also the 2022 Diamond League champion in his specialist event and is known for breaking Kenya's decades-long dominance in the steeplechase.

Career At age 18, El Bakkali placed fourth in the 3000 m steeplechase at the 2014 World Junior Championships in Athletics, and then made his senior debut at the 2014 African Championships in Athletics, placing tenth in the event. He also competed in cross country running and was 18th as a junior at the 2015 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. At the Rio Olympics, El Bakkali finished fourth, improving his personal to 8:14.35 minutes.

He won the silver medal at the 2017 World Championships held in London in a time of 8:14.49 behind only Conseslus Kipruto who ran 8:14.12. Two years later, at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar El Bakkali earned a bronze with a season's best of 8:03.76 behind Kipruto (8:01.35) and Lamecha Girma (8:01.36).

El Bakkali qualified to represent Morocco at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics where he won the gold medal in his signature event with a time of 8:08.90, ahead of Girma in 8:10.38 and Benjamin Kigen (8:11.45). He thus became the first non-Kenyan-born athlete to win the title since Poland's Bronislaw Malinowski did so at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, and the first non-Kenyan born gold medallist at the Olympics or World Championships since 1987. On 18 September 2021, El Bakkali won his speciality event at the Kip Keino Classic meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, finishing with an 8:21.20 clocking.

On 18 July 2022 at the World Athletics Championships held in Eugene, Oregon, El Bakkali became the world champion, winning the gold medal in the 3000 m steeplechase with a time of 8:25.13 ahead of Lamecha Girma (8:26.01) and Conseslus Kipruto (8:27.92). In September at the Diamond League final in Zürich, he claimed his first Diamond Trophy. Just three days later, he capped his fine season with an African best in the 2000 m steeplechase, running 5:14.06 at the Hanžeković Memorial in Zagreb to move to third on the world all-time list for the event. El Bakkali was undefeated and ran the fastest time in the world that season, clocking 7:58.28 at Rabat Diamond League. In November, he was shortlisted for the World Athletics Male Athlete of the Year award.

On 22 August 2023, El Bakkali won his second World Championship gold medal in the 2023 World Athletics Championships after placing first in the final race with a time of 8:03.53.

On 7 August 2024, at the Paris Olympics, El Bakkali defended his Olympic title in the 3000 m steeplechase, winning in a time of 8:06.05. He overtook American Kenneth Rooks in the final straightaway, who took the lead in the bell lap.

On 15 September 2025, El Bakkali won his second World Championship silver medal in the 3000m steeplechase with a time of 8:33.95, finishing 0.07 seconds behind New Zealand's Geordie Beamish.

Personal life On 14 September 2023, El Bakkali donated blood for the needy affected by the 2023 Marrakesh-Safi earthquake.

Achievements International competitions

Circuit wins and titles

3000 metres steeplechase wins, other events specified in parentheses 2017: Stockholm Bauhaus-galan, Rabat Meeting 2018: Monaco Herculis ( PB) 2019: Doha Diamond League (WL), Monaco Herculis (WL), Meeting de Paris 2020: Monaco (WL) 2021: Rome Golden Gala in Florence 2022: Doha (WL), Rabat (WL ), Lausanne Athletissima, Zürich Weltklasse 2023: Rabat (WL MR PB), Stockholm, Silesia (MR), Xiamen (MR) 2024: Rabat, Silesia 2025: Rabat, Herculis 2026: Rabat, Stockholm World Continental Tour 3000 metres steeplechase wins, other events specified in parentheses 2022: Zagreb Hanžeković Memorial (2000 m st.)

Personal bests 1500 metres – 3:31.95 (Doha 2021) 2000 metres indoor – 5:00.55 (Liévin 2019) 3000 metres – 7:33.87 (Doha 2023) 3000 metres indoor – 7:41.88 (Liévin 2018) 5000 metres – 12:55.49 (Paris 2025) 5000 metres indoor – 13:10.60 (Birmingham 2017) 2000 metres steeplechase – 5:14.06 (Zagreb 2022) African best 3000 metres steeplechase – 7:56.68 (Rabat 2023) the fastest time in the world for 11 years, 8th of all time

Awards Confederation of African Athletics Best Male Athlete of the Year: 2022 Commander of the Order of the Throne: 2024