Soufiane El Bakkali

Soufiane El Bakkali was born on January 7, 1996, in Fez, Morocco. He is a prominent middle-distance runner, specializing in the 3000 metres steeplechase. El Bakkali began his international career at a young age, placing fourth in the 3000m steeplechase at the 2014 World Junior Championships in Athletics. He made his senior debut at the 2014 African Championships in Athletics and later competed in cross country running, finishing 18th as a junior at the 2015 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. His early career demonstrated a consistent level of performance in competitive events.

El Bakkali gained significant international recognition during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, where he finished fourth in the 3000m steeplechase, setting a personal best. The following year, he secured a silver medal at the 2017 World Championships in London, finishing behind Conseslus Kipruto. His career continued to advance, earning a bronze medal at the 2019 World Championships in Doha. A major turning point in his career came at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where he won the gold medal in the 3000m steeplechase. This achievement was historic as he became the first non-Kenyan-born athlete to win this Olympic title since 1980.

His dominance in the steeplechase continued with back-to-back gold medals at the World Athletics Championships in 2022 (Eugene, Oregon) and 2023 (Budapest). In 2022, he also became the Diamond League champion in his specialty event. El Bakkali further solidified his status by winning his second consecutive Olympic gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics in the 3000m steeplechase. Throughout his career, he has consistently delivered top performances, including setting personal bests and meet records in various Diamond League events, and holds the African best in the 2000m steeplechase. His consistent achievements have challenged the long-standing dominance of Kenyan athletes in the steeplechase.