Our #Tokyo2020 athlete of the day is Moroccan runner Soufiane El Bakkali.
The 25-year-old won gold in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase ahead of Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma and Kenya’s Benjamin Kigen.
Thereby ending decades of Kenyan dominance of the event.
Prior to El Bakkali’s victory, Kenyans had won gold at every Game since 1968 apart from 1976 and 1980, when they staged a boycott.
“I am so used to seeing Kenyans win – it’s a big accomplishment for me,” he said after his win.
El Bakkali represented Morocco at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, where he placed fourth.
He won silver and bronze at the 2017 and 2019 World Championships, respectively.
