Morocco's pride, the two-time world and Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali, alongside his fellow countryman Salaheddine Ben Yazide, have successfully secured their spots in the final of the 3000m steeplechase at the 20th World Athletics Championships, taking place in Tokyo until September 21. El Bakkali dominated the third qualifying heat, clinching first place with a time of 8 minutes 26.99 seconds, outpacing Ethiopia's Lamecha Girma (8:27.79) and the American Daniel Michalski (8:28.76). In a similar display of excellence, Ben Yazide topped the second heat, finishing in 8 minutes 27.21 seconds, narrowly ahead of New Zealand's Geordie Beamish (8:27.23) and Ethiopia's Samuel Firewu (8:27.54). However, it was a challenging day for other Moroccan athletes, Mohamed Tindouft and Faid El Mostafa, who competed in the first heat but did not advance to the final, finishing 9th (8:35.73) and 11th (8:44.10), respectively. The final, set for September 15, will see the top five athletes from each heat compete. Morocco is represented by a strong contingent of 20 athletes (14 men and 6 women) at this prestigious event. The Moroccan team is led by El Bakkali in the 3000m steeplechase, alongside compatriots Mohamed Tindouft, Salaheddine Ben Yazide, and El Mostafa Faid. In other events, Anass Essayi, Fouad Mesaoudi, and Hafid Rizqi will compete in the 1500m, while Saad Hinti takes on the 400m hurdles. The 800m event will feature Abdarrahman El Assal and Abdelaati El Guess, while the marathon lineup includes Othmane El Goumri, Mohamed Reda El Aaraby, and Soufiyan Bouqantar. On the women's side, Bahiya El Arfaoui will race in the 1500m, with Assia Raziki and Soukaina Hajji competing in the 800m. The marathon will see the participation of Fatima Ezzahra Gardadi, Rahma Tahiri, and Kaoutar Farkoussi. Historically, Morocco has claimed a total of 33 medals at the World Athletics Championships, including 12 gold, 12 silver, and 9 bronze, showcasing their enduring legacy in the world of athletics.
