Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali was hoping to defend his title in men’s steeplechase, but another remarkable story unfolded during the chaotic finish, which featured a huge fall by the world record holder and a dramatic sprint by American Kenneth Rooks.
SPOILERS AHEAD
El Bakkali did defend his gold medal successfully, but by only .36 seconds over Rooks, who took home the silver medal with a sprint to the finish line that saw him briefly lead in the final meters of the race.
Here’s how that sprint unfolded:
Rooks still beat his personal best by almost 9 seconds to capture the second silver over three Olympics in the event for the United States, and only the third medal in the steeplechase in the last 100 years.
Another scary scene occurred late in the race when Lamecha Girma, the world record holder in the 3000m steeplechase, hit a hurdle and slammed back-first onto the track. He was attended to by physicians as the race concluded, and was the only participant who did not finish the event.
You can catch the full replay here: