Diamond League Brussels: El Bakkali Wins Silver in 3000m Steeplechase
Moroccan runner Soufiane El Bakkali, a double Olympic and world champion, finished second in the 3000m steeplechase final of the Diamond League at King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, behind young Ethiopian Gemechu Godana.
Moroccan runner Soufiane El Bakkali, double Olympic champion and world champion in the 3000m steeplechase, finished second in the 2026 Diamond League Final held at King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, in a race decided in the final lap by young Ethiopian runner Gemechu Godana (20).
Race Details
Godana, who overtook El Bakkali just before the finish line, completed the race in 8:08.67, finishing 1.36 seconds ahead of El Bakkali, who clocked 8:10.03, while Kenya's Simon Koech completed the podium in 8:11.15.
| Place | Athlete | Country | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gemechu Godana | Ethiopia | 8:08.67 |
| 2 | Soufiane El Bakkali | Morocco | 8:10.03 |
| 3 | Simon Koech | Kenya | 8:11.15 |
A Strong Season Despite Missing the Title
El Bakkali (30) entered the final atop the Diamond League standings in his event with 31 points, having won 3 of his 5 steeplechase races this season. He holds the season's best time of 7:57.25, set on May 31 at the Rabat meeting, as well as his personal best of 7:56.68.
Meanwhile, fellow Moroccan Salaheddine Ben Yazid (23), the sixth seed, did not finish the race after dropping out midway through. Ben Yazid recently won the steeplechase title at the Mediterranean Games in Taranto, also setting a personal best of 8:05.08 at the Silesia meeting this season.
Why It Matters
The silver medal confirms El Bakkali remains among the world's steeplechase elite despite turning 30, while the emergence of 20-year-old Godana opens the door to a new rivalry that could shape the event in the coming years, including in the buildup to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.