Soufiane El Bakkali may have been centre stage at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Rabat on Sunday evening, but it was also a special night for Frederik Ruppert.
Morocco’s El Bakkali stormed to a world lead of 7:57.25 in the headline men’s 3000m steeplechase, winning at his home Diamond League meeting for the fifth year in a row.
Yet just a few strides behind him, reigning Diamond League champion Ruppert was also making history.
Ruppert already had good memories of Rabat, having set a new German record at the Meeting International Mohammed VI last year.
That performance kickstarted a brilliant season which saw him become the first non-African athlete ever to win the Diamond League title in the men’s steeplechase.
In Rabat, he made history once again with a breathtaking European record.
While the crowd roared El Bakkali over the finish line, Ruppert charged down the home straight behind him to come in a comfortable second place.
The Wanda Diamond League’s Official Timekeeper OMEGA clocked him at 7:57.80, making Ruppert the first European ever to break the eight-minute barrier.
“After last year’s 8:01 here, the European record was definitely my goal. It´s incredible to be the first European to break eight minutes. I have trained all winter with this one goal in my head, I didn´t miss a single training day, so it’s feels great when it finally pays off,” said the German, before hailing the passion of the Rabat crowd.
“The crowd was again fantastic, it just carries you. The crowd loves El Bakkali and playing that role of the ‘enemy’ is special,” he said. “Rabat is indeed a place with many emotions for me.”
