This is the second Diamond League meeting, the Rabat DL, which was held on May 28, 2023. This event-by-event review was done by the EME News. The Rabat DL meeting was quite successful, and this has, quite frankly, surprised me on many levels. I have to get this meet on my bucket list. I loved Marakesh; I think Rabat should be the next meet on the Diamond League plan.
El Bakkali is the best in the end.
RABAT (MAR, May 28): The 14th edition of Meeting Mohammad VI in Rabat (in DL since 2016) was highlighted by the huge effort of the top Moroccan athlete of the current time, Olympic winner Soufiane El Bakkali. Also, Fred Kerley won the highly anticipated 100 m race, and Gudaf Tsegay ran a very fast women’s 1500 m. In total, 4 World leads, and 6 Meet records were registered. The surprise of the evening was Broadbell beating Holloway.
Short reviews
Men
100m: Fred Kerley confirmed his position as the World champion and won the highly expected race with 9.94 (0.1), a new meet record. He defeated a strong group of African sprinters; Akani Simbine was second (9.99), Ferdinand Omanyala third (10.05) with his first loss of the year, and Letsile Tsebogo fourth (10.09).
400m: Steven Gardiner, on a come-back trail, won in 44.70 over Vernon Norwood (45.11), as Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith did not finish the race.
800m: Kenyans dominated as Emmanuel Wanyonyi won in 1:44.36 ahead of Wycliffe Kinyamal (1:44.73) and Benjamin Robert of France (1:45.04 EL).
1500m: Jakob Ingebrigtsen opened the season in 3:32.59 after 54.3 last lap, over challenging Yared Nuguse of USA with 3:33.02 PB. Australia’s Oliver Hoare finished third (3:33.39), and Azeddine Habz of France fourth (3:33.90). All thirteen finishers were sub-3:40.
3000m steeple: Soufiane El Bakkali, in front of the home crowd, smashed his competitors and clocked a new world lead, meet record, and personal best of 7:56.68. He moved to the eighth all-time position and produced the best time since 2012. Personal bests also for second Getnet Wale (8:05.15) and third Abraham Kibiwot (8:05.51). In a deeper field, new PBs also for youngsters from Morocco, U20 Mohammed M Saad (8:16.18) and Salaheddine Ben Yazid (8:17.49).
110m hurdles: Rasheed Broadbell of Jamaica with 13.08 (-1.3), a new meet record, defeated in the last meters until then,…
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