Kenya's Amos Serem produced a remarkable performance on Friday night, delivering an upset victory over Olympic and world champion Soufiane El Bakkali in the 3000m steeplechase at the Diamond League Final in Brussels, Belgium.
The 22-year-old former World Under-20 champion, who had finished a distant 14th at the Paris Olympics, led from start to finish in an impressive display of strength and strategy.
Serem clocked 8:06.90, stunning El Bakkali, whose homestretch surge has been his trademark. The Moroccan, unbeaten in three years since his triumph at the Tokyo Olympics, settled for second place in 8:08.60.
In a thrilling rematch, Serem turned the tables on El Bakkali by holding off the champion’s final push and maintaining his lead in the decisive final lap. This victory not only ended El Bakkali’s dominance but also secured Serem his maiden Diamond League title.
Tunisia’s Mohamed Amin Jhinaoui took third place in 8:09.68, while Kenya’s Abraham Kibiwot, the Olympic bronze medallist, finished just outside the podium in fourth.
Serem's victory is a significant moment in his career, marking the first time he has beaten El Bakkali, a man who ended Kenya’s long-standing dominance in the steeplechase at the Tokyo Olympics.
El Bakkali has since held onto his supremacy, winning titles at both the World Championships and the Paris Olympics, making Serem's triumph even more noteworthy.
With this victory, Serem has firmly announced his arrival as a major contender on the global stage, dethroning one of the sport's most consistent champions in dramatic fashion.
