Moroccan Muslim athlete Soufiane El Bakkali made history on August 7, 2024, by becoming the first man since 1932 to win consecutive Olympic gold medals in the 3,000m steeplechase.

At Paris 2024, he triumphed with a time of 8:06.05 in a thrilling sprint finish, outpacing world record-holder Lamecha Girma and securing victory over Kenneth Rooks and Abraham Kibiwot, Olympics.com reported.

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Soufiane El Bakkali’s historic podium finish has brought immense pride and celebration to Morocco, marking a significant achievement after several disappointing defeats and early exits by Moroccan representatives at the Paris Olympics.

El Bakkali won gold medals at the World Athletics Championships in 2022 and 2023.

His long list of achievements includes a third-place finish at the 2019 African Games and a second-place finish at the 2018 African Championships.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, El Bakkali secured gold in his specialty event with a time of 8:08.90, finishing ahead of Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma and Kenya’s Benjamin Kigen.