Soufiane El Bakkali, of Morocco, celebrates winning the men’s 3000-meters steeplechase final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France
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Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali returned to Rabat after winning at the Paris 2024 Olympics 3000 meters steeplechase.
Upon his return to Morocco, El Bakkali received a grand welcome at Rabat-Salé Airport, where his fans and supporters gathered to greet him.
“Praise be to God, I have won the gold medal, which I would like to dedicate to the Moroccan people and His Majesty the King. I feel immense happiness, especially when I received a telegram from the King upon my arrival here. This made me extremely happy because it is the fourth telegram I have received from His Majesty, and this motivates me a lot,” said El Bakkali.
El Bakkali was able to retain his gold medal at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.
Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco defended his title in the men’s steeplechase with a .36-second win over American rival Kenneth Rooks.
Additional sources • AP
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