Rabat Diamond League: El Bakkali impresses with 7:56 steeplechase, Tsegay dominates 1500m
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Local favourite Soufiane El Bakkali set a PB, meeting record and world lead of 7:56.68 to win the men’s 3000 metres steeplechase at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Rabat to the delight of his home fans. Ethiopia’s Getnet Wale and Kenya’s Abraham Kibiwot set PBs clocking 8:05.15 and 8:05.51. USA’s Hillary Bor finished fourth with 8:11.28 beating Leonard Bett from Kenya (8:14.42). European bronze medallist Osama Zoghlami from Italy (8:14.58) and Kenya’s Benjamin Kigen (8:15.58).
Soufiane El Bakkali: “I can’t describe my happiness for achieving the meeting record, the personal best and world lead. My aim was to break the world record, but I was tired in the last lap. Now I will rest to get ready for the upcoming competitions and the World Championships where my aim is to keep my title. I would like to seize this opportunity to thank the President of the Federation and our King for his constant help and support for the athletes. I am also grateful for the beautiful support of the audience which was a great motivator to finish strong”
Women’s 1500 metres:
World 5000m champion Gudaf Tsegay set the world lead and the meeting record with 3:54.03 to win the women’s 1500m. Ethiopia claimed the top four spots with Freweyni Hailu (3:57.65), Birke Haylom (PB 3:57.66) and Worknesh Mesele (4:01.81).
Gudaf Tsegay: “It was my first outdoor competition of the season, so I am more than happy with the result and the victory. The result was what I planned. It was not easy but great in the execution. I am already in great shape. I am injury free. I don’t know what race I will run at the World Championships, 1500m, 5000m, 10000m. I am ready for every distance. My coach will decide”.
Men’s 100 metres:
World champion Fred Kerley broke the meeting record with 9.94 to take the win in the men’s 100 metres ahead of Akani Simbine (9.99), Ferdinand Omanyala (10.05), world under 20 champion Letsile Tebogo (10.09) and Trayvon Bromell (10.10).
Fred Kerley: “I can’t describe my happiness for winning this race and setting the Meeting record today. This is the result that I was expecting and I will keep up to achieve and reach the World Championships in the best shape ever. The crowd was amazing and the atmosphere was incredible, especially the weather here in Rabat. I would definitely keep the same record for the next competitions”.
Women’s 200 metres:
World champion Shericka Jackson from Jamaica won her first Diamond League race in the 200 metres this season with a seasonal best and a meeting record of 21.98.
Shericka Jackson: “I am happy with my victory. It was breezy at the start. It was competitive at first but it was OK for me because I was well prepared. The crowd was a little bit noisy. It’s something that happens in every competition, but I got used to it. Rabat is a good place. I liked everything especially the organization. I would definitely work harder to get more wins and hit world records in the next upcoming championships”.
Anthonique Strachan from the Bahamas and Tamari Davis improved their PBs to 22.15 and 22.30.
Women’s high jump:
Yaroslava Mahuchik improved her own world lead by one cm to 2.01m in the first attempt to win the women’s high jump. Irina Gerashchenko completed the Ukrainian double in second place with 1.91m. Nadezhda Dubovitskaya and Angelina Topic shared the third place with 1.87m.
Yaroslava Mahuchik: “I am extremely for jumping 2.01m and achieving the meeting record and the World Lead. It’s definitely a boost for me to keep up and achieve more victories. I am happy to be in Rabat. This is my second time in a row here. It’s a great place. Especially the crowd was phenomenal. Great job for the organization”.
Women’s triple jump:
Cuba’s Perez Hernandez improved her own world leading by 4 cm to 14.84m in the second round. European outdoor champion Maryna Beck Romanchuk placed second with a leap to 14.65m in the sixth round ahead of Commonwealth Games champion Shanieka Ricketts from Jamaica (14.53m).
Men’s discus throw:
World champion Kristjan Ceh threw over the 70 metres barrier twice with 70.07m and 70.32m in the first and fifth respectively to win his second Diamond League competition of the second following his victory in Doha.
Kristjan Ceh: “It is great to be again in Rabat and meet this beautiful crowd. I will keep training hard for the World Championships and break the world record. It’s not going to be easy for me. It feels wonderful to compete with great competitors”.
Olympic gold medallist Daniel Stahl took second place with a seasonal best of 69.21m beating 2017 world champion Andrius Gudzius from Lithuania (66.04m).
Men’s 1500 metres:
Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen started his defense of the Diamond League title with a win in the men’s 1500 metres in 3:32.59. USA’s rising star Yared Nuguse finished second in a PB of 3:33.02 beating last year’s Commonwealth Games champion Oliver Hoare (3:33.39), Azzedine Habz (3:33.90).
Men’s 110 metres hurdles:
Last year’s Commonwealth Games champion Rasheed Broadbell won the men’s 110 metres in a meeting record of 13.08 edging two-time world champion Grant Holloway (13.12) into a -1.3 m/s. Broadbell has drawn level to 3-3 in his head-to-head clashes against Holloway. Olympic champion Hansle Parchment took third place with 13.24 edging Devon Allen by one hundredth of a second.
Rasheed Broadbell: “I am happy about how I performed today. I am pleased to get this win. I managed to get this victory by being focused during the race. My goal this year is to execute well. I would like to thank the crowd for being supportive and fantastic. I am getting ready for the World Championships”
Grant Holloway: “I am not happy about my performance today. My goal was the first place. The crowd was very loud and they got me distracted. I will work harder now to get harder for the upcoming competitions especially the World Championships where my goal is to achieve the gold medal”.
Men’s 400 metres:
Olympic champion Steven Gardiner won the men’s 400 metres in 44.70 holding off Vernon Norwood (45.11).
Steven Gardiner: “I am delighted for achieving the first place. The race was very quick and highly competitive. The crowd was fabulous. I am happy to be in Rabat. I liked the weather and everything was up to the expectations. I am definitely coming back. I will keep training hard to get ready for the next meetings, and mainly for the World Championships in Budapest”.
Women’s 400 metres hurdles:
Shamier Little clocked 53.95 to win the women’s 400 metres hurdles in the first race of the evening.
Men’s 800 metres:
Emmanuel Wanyonyi, world under 20 champion in Nairobi 2021, won the men’s 800 metres in 1:44.36 ahead of double Commonwealth Games gold medallist Wycliffe Kinyamal (1:44.73) and European indoor silver medallist Benjamin Robert (1:45.04). Wanyonyi had already won a race against Kinyamal at the Continental Tour Gold in 1:43.32.
Emmanuel Wanyonyi: “I feel very happy about my performance today here in Rabat though the race was tough. Running against Kipkurui was not easy at all. The crowd was fabulous. The atmosphere was incredible. Today’s race was a great preparation for the upcoming competitions especially the World Championships in Budapest”.
Women’s 800 metres:
Last year’s Diamond League champion Mary Moraa set a seasonal best of 1:58.32 to win the women’s 1500 metres in 1:58.72.
Women’s shot put:
World indoor champion Auriol Dongmo won the women’s shot put with a second round of 19.28m in the second round. The Portuguese shot putter also produced the second best put of 19.11m. European outdoor champion Jessica Schilder finished runner-up with 18.85m ahead of USA’s Jessica Woodard (18.65m).
