The best world performance (MPM) of the year, achieved in 7 min 57 s 25, Sunday, during the Mohammed VI International Athletics Meeting, third stage of the Diamond League, constitutes additional motivation to try to beat the world record for the 3,000 m steeplechase, said the athlete Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali.
In a statement to the press following this victory, El Bakkali stressed that starting his sporting season with such a time strengthens him in his quest for the world record in the discipline. He added that this record requires specific conditions, rigorous preparation and a well-defined strategy.
Commenting on the race, he said that the competition was particularly tough, particularly against Kenyan, Ethiopian runners and European athletes, who each year demonstrate the extent of their potential.
In this context, he indicated that his experience acquired at the Mohammed VI International Athletics Meeting allowed him to achieve this performance and to manage his race well, specifying that it is always an immense pleasure to win at home in front of the Moroccan public.
He also considered that this victory bodes well for the next events in which he will take part, notably in Stockholm and Doha, as well as the Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
This third stage of the Diamond League, placed under the High Patronage of King Mohammed VI, brought together athletes from 40 countries from the four corners of the world, including Olympic champions and world champions.
This meeting is the result of a collaboration between the Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports, the Moroccan National Olympic Committee, the Royal Moroccan Athletics Federation and the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra Region.
