Soufiane El Bakkali added the world title to the Olympic crown he won last year. The tall Moroccan bided his time in a slow race before making a decisive move on the water jump with 150m to go and sprinted home to win in 8:25.13.
The 26-year-old out-kicked Lamecha Girma of Ethiopia and defending champion Conseslus Kipruto to take the title. The top three men filled the podium at the 2019 event in Doha incidentally, with Girma runner-up on that occasion and El Bakkali third.
The final two laps in Eugene were completed in a fast 1:58.80 and as the race drew to a climax it was exciting. But given the slow time, it is unlikely to be remembered as a classic. It was 10 seconds slower, for example, than Patriz Ilg ran to win the title at the inaugural championships in Helsinki in 1983.
The most exciting part of the first half a dozen laps was when a cameraman stepped out on to the track to film the women’s triple jump and was almost trampled by the runners.
“I am very happy to win my first world title after the Olympic gold,” said El Bakkali, who finished fourth in the World Under-20 Championships final in Eugene in 2014.
“The race was very difficult. It was very tactical and slow. I positioned myself well on the last lap. I am very strong in the 400m and it worked out for me.”
Evan Jager, an American who is based in Oregon as part of the Bowerman Track Club, was sixth in 8:29.08.
Source: Jason Henderson
www.sports24ghana.com
