Moroccan runner Sofiane Bekkali has easily advanced to the final round of the 3000m hurdles at the 18th World Championships in Athletics, which began on Friday in Eugene, USA and will run until July 24.

El-Bakali, the gold medalist of the Tokyo Olympics, set the best qualifying time of 8.16:65 minutes on the way to victory in the first group, ahead of the Kenyans Leonard Kipkimoy (8.16:94 minutes), Abraham Kibiwot (8.17:04 minutes) and Gitnet Wali from Ethiopia (8.17:49 e).

Al-Bakali was the only one of eight Arab runners to qualify for the final round, where compatriots Salah El-Din Yazid and Mohamed Tendoft, Algerians Bilal Tibti and Hisham Bouchicha, Tunisian Ahmed Jaziri, Mohamed Amin Jinaoui and Djibouti Mohamed Ismail were eliminated. .

The final race will take place at dawn next Tuesday.