Kenya's Amos Serem Stuns Olympic Champion El Bakkali to Claim Diamond League 3000m Steeplechase Title

• Sep 14, 2024

In a gripping rematch on Friday night, Kenya’s Amos Serem delivered a remarkable performance to win the 3000m steeplechase at the Diamond League Final in Brussels, Belgium. The victory came at the expense of Morocco's Soufiane El Bakkali, the reigning Olympic and world champion, who had dominated the event for the last three years. Serem, a former World Under 20 champion, took control of the race from the start and held on to secure the win in a time of 8 minutes 06.90 seconds, outpacing El Bakkali, who finished second with a time of 8 minutes 08.60 seconds.

The race marked a turning point for Serem, who had finished 14th at the Paris Olympics and had yet to defeat El Bakkali on the big stage. This time, however, Serem executed a flawless strategy, maintaining the lead throughout the race and countering El Bakkali’s usual tactic of a late surge in the homestretch. Serem’s perfectly timed burst of speed on the final lap ensured that the Moroccan could not catch him, ending El Bakkali’s three-year unbeaten streak that began with his triumph at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Tunisia’s Mohamed Amin Jhinaoui rounded out the podium, finishing third with a time of 8 minutes 09.68 seconds. Kenya’s Abraham Kibiwot, an Olympic bronze medallist, came in fourth, missing out on a podium finish in a closely contested race.

For Serem, the victory not only marks his first Diamond League title but also represents a significant breakthrough in his career. At just 22 years old, he managed to outshine El Bakkali, a formidable rival who had previously denied Kenya victories in the steeplechase event for several years. El Bakkali had famously ended Kenya’s long-standing dominance in the event at the Tokyo Olympics and continued to hold the upper hand in the years that followed, including at the World Championships and the Paris Olympics.

Serem’s win brings fresh excitement to the steeplechase as he emerges as a new force to be reckoned with. This victory could signal the beginning of a new era in the event, as Serem looks poised to build on his momentum and challenge El Bakkali’s supremacy in future competitions.