By Amy Tennery
EUGENE, Ore. (Reuters) – Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali surged past Lamecha Girma of Ethiopia to win 3,000 metres steeplechase gold at the World Championships on Monday.
The Olympic champion had stayed near the back of the leading pack for much of the race before making the decisive move in the last 200m at Hayward Field.
Girma had to settle for silver once again after finishing second in Tokyo and in Doha three years ago, with Kenyan Conseslus Kipruto taking bronze.
There was a bizarre moment earlier in the race when the field was forced to dodge a camera operator who was standing in the middle of the track with his back to the competitors.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in Eugene, Oregon; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
