Tag: Athletes of North Africa

MOROCCO: 19-year Salaheddine Benyazide Wins 3000m Steeple Bronze ‘2022 World Athletics U20 Championships, Cali 22’

Moroccan athlete Salaheddine Benyazide won the bronze medal in the men’s 3000m steeplechase race on Saturday, as part of the Cali 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships, Columbia.

The young athlete was able to snatch the third place with a time of 8 minutes, 40 seconds, and 62 milliseconds, coming right behind the Ethiopians Samuel Duguna and Samuel Firewu.

Duguna achieved a time of 8 minutes, 37 seconds, and 92 milliseconds, while Firewu’s time came in at 8 minutes, 39 seconds, and 11 milliseconds.

The time is Benyazide’s fourth best in this race category, with his personal best being 8 minutes, 19 seconds, and 63 milliseconds, achieved earlier this year in Rabat.

The medal is Benyazide’s first on the world stage. Having been active in Morocco’s athletic scene since 2021, the 19 year-old athlete started participating in international races in 2022.

Celebrations and support have been pouring in following the young Moroccan’s medal, and many have hailed Benyazide’s success on the global stage as an achievement not only for Morocco, but for Arab athletics in general.

As he is participating in more international events this year, the young athlete is widely expected to represent Morocco more often on the world stage in the coming years, following in the footsteps of other Moroccans to preserve the country’s increasingly stellar athletics record.

Ethiopian athletes took the gold and silver medals in the race.

source/content: moroccoworldnews.com (headline edited)

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Moroccan-Spanish Mohamed Katir Wins Silver Medal at ‘European Championships 2022’, Munich,Germany

Moroccan-Spanish athlete Mohamed Katir won on Tuesday a silver medal after finishing second in the 5,000 meters final at the European Championships. The tournament is taking place between August 11 and 21 in Munich, Germany.

Katir finished the race in 13 minutes, 22 seconds, and 98 milliseconds, behind the gold medalist Norway’s Jacob Ingebrigsten, who recorded a time of 13 minutes, 21 seconds, and 13 milliseconds. Italy’s Yemanebrhan Crippa finished third with a time of 13 minutes, 24 seconds, and 83 milliseconds.

Nine minutes and 30 seconds into the race, French runner Hugo Hay, who was positioned between fourth and fifth place,  fell to the ground and was unable to recover, finishing 19th in the race.

The Moroccan-born holds impressive records in medium and long-distance running competitions. Katir is the 27th all-time fastest runner to ever compete at Golden Gala, an annual track and field event.

The runner won the record after completing 5,000 meters in a personal best time of 12 minutes, 50 seconds, and 79 milliseconds in June 2021.

Last month, Katir claimed a bronze medal in the 1,500 meters race at the World Athletics Championships held in Oregon, the United States.

Katir was born in 1998 in the Moroccan city of Ksar El Kebir but immigrated to Spain with his family when he was a young child. He received Spanish nationality in 2019, allowing him to compete under the Spanish flag since January 1, 2020.

source/contents: moroccoworldnews.com (edited)

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Moroccan-Spanish Mohamed Katir Wins Silver Medal at European Championships

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WORLD RECORD: MOROCCO: Soufiane El Bakkali Creates History Wins Gold in Steeplechase at the ‘World Athletics Championships’, Eugene,USA. Creates History- Becomes First Moroccan Athlete to Win Gold in 3,000m Steeplechase at World Championships.

After his recent achievement, El Bakkali became the “king of steeplechase.”.

King Mohammed VI sent on Tuesday a message to Moroccan steeplechase runner Soufiane El Bakkali, congratulating him on winning the gold medal at the World Athletics Championships held in Eugene, US.

The Moroccan athlete brought Morocco its first gold in the 3,000m steeplechase in this year’s World Championships, ending Kenya’s 15-year reign in the discipline at the international competition.

The King expressed his appreciation for El Bakkali’s achievement, saying that the Moroccan athlete “was able, thanks to his competitive spirit and patriotism, to achieve this well-deserved victory.”

“As we commend this well-deserved global crown, with which you raised the flag of Morocco in this prestigious international event, we wish you success in your rich sporting career, covered by our generous sympathy and satisfaction,” the King added.

A teary-eyed El Bakkali raised the Moroccan flag after his triumph, telling the media he was dedicating this win to King Mohammed VI, his parents, and to all the Moroccans who have shown him endless support and encouragement.

Several international media reporting on El Bakkali’s recent achievement described him as the “king of steelechase” after claiming world title.

He added, “After the semi-final I had a good look at the strategy of the Kenyan athletes. I was on my own, the only Moroccan in the race, but I did not limit myself to winning silver nor bronze. Instead I managed to come first in two world league meetings and now the World Championship.”

El Bakkali began earning his first medals at international events at the 2017 World Championship in London, where he placed second, before finishing first in the 2018 Mediterranean Games in Spain.

In August 2021, Soufiane El Bakkali gave Moroccans a moment of pride after his historic achievement at the Olympics, ending Kenya’s dominance over the men’s 3,000m steeplechase and winning the gold medal at Tokyo 2020. 

source/content: moroccoworldnews.com (headline edited)

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