3,000 metres Steeplechase, Men

Morocco’s Soufiane El-Bakkali was the defending gold medalist and a clear favorite in the men’s steeplechase. He was World Champion in 2022 and 2023 and had been world ranked #1 every year since 2019. His biggest challenge was expected to come from Lamecha Girma (ETH), the world record holder and silver medalist at Tokyo 2020 and the World Championships in 2019, 2022, and 2023.

After some initial surges in the final, the pace slowed at the halfway point, allowing the field to bunch up. At the bell, there were still 10 runners grouped closely together, when unheralded USA runner Kenneth Rooks burst out to a 3-metre lead and maintained it through the backstretch. Girma was second at that point, but hit the last hurdle before the water jump, fell to the track, hit his head, and would not finish.

At the water jump, El-Bakkali and Kenyan Abraham Kibiwot caught Rooks, with El-Bakkali passing him and pulling away to win gold by several metres. Rooks and Kibiwot fought through the final straight to contest the other medals, with Rooks holding off Kibiwot – 8:06.41 to 8:06.47.

On the other side of the track, attention was turned to Girma who appeared seriously injured. He would be hospitalized but fortunately had no major brain injury and was soon discharged. El-Bakkali became the first steeplechaser to defend his Olympic gold medal since Volmari Iso-Hollo (FIN) in 1932-1936, and only the third to win two gold medals in the event, as Ezekiel Kemboi (KEN) won in 2004 and 2012.