MOROCCO’S STEEPLECHASE king Soufiane El Bakkali on Wednesday became just the third Arab to win double Olympic gold while Jamaica’s Roje Stona upset the favourites to claim a memorable men’s discus title.

In a thrilling 400m final, American Quincy Hall overtook Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith in the final metre to win the 400m and become the fourth-fastest one-lap performer in history.

A capacity 69,000 crowd at the Stade de France also saw Nina Kennedy bag a first-ever women’s pole vault gold for Australia.

Three-time world champion El Bakkali timed 8min 06.05sec for victory in the 3000m steeplechase ahead of American Kenneth Rooks and Kenya’s Abraham Kibiwot.

His second Olympic gold, having first win in the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games, leaves him in a small group of Arab athletes to have doubled up at the Summer Games.

Only his Moroccan compatriot Hicham El Guerrouj, who won 1500m and 5,000m gold in Athens 2004, and Tunisian swimmer Oussama Mellouli (1500m freestyle in Beijing 2008 and 10km marathon in London 2012) have achieved the feat.

The discus produced a feast of high-level throwing, Stona coming out on top to upset world record holder Mykolas Alekna.

Lithuanian Alekna had broken the Olympic record with his best mark of 69.97m on his second effort.

But plans to emulate his father Virgilijus, who won two Olympic titles in 2000 and 2004, were scotched by the Jamaican.

Stona, coached by American Ryan Crouser who won an unprecedented third consecutive shot put gold on Saturday, stole the show when he threw out to an Olympic record of 70.00m on his fourth attempt.

On the track, Hall produced a perfectly-timed finish and savage dip for victory in the 400m in 43.40sec.

The 26-year-old pipped a desperately disappointed Hudson-Smith, who improved his own European record to 43.44sec. Zambia’s Muzala Samukonga took bronze in 43.74sec.

It was the first time ever five athletes had gone below 44 seconds in the same race.

Hall became the first American man to win the one-lap event at the Olympics since LaShawn Merritt in Beijing in 2008.

“It means a lot,” said Hall, who was only a bronze medallist at last year’s world championships. “I’ve been putting a lot of work in. This is my second year running the 400.

“Last year I told you guys I was going to get a better medal this year. Guess what? I got one gold.”

The fourth gold of the night went to Australia as Kennedy cleared a best of 4.90m.

American Katie Moon, the defending champion with whom Kennedy had shared world gold in Budapest last year, claimed silver on countback from Canada’s Alysha Newman after they both managed 4.85m.

 - Lyles on track -

 A trio of track stars safely negotiated their way into their respective event finals.

Noah Lyles qualified for the 200m final on Wednesday to stay on track for the first Olympic men’s sprint treble since Usain Bolt achieved the feat at the 2016 Rio Games.

The American three-time world champion, who won the 100m by five thousandths of a second from Jamaican Kishane Thompson in 9.79sec, finished second in his semi-final behind Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo.

Tebogo, also a finalist in the 100m, struck a psychological blow to Lyles, crossing the line in 19.96sec, while Lyles timed 20.08sec.

Defending champion Karsten Warholm wrapped up his semi-final to progress to Saturday’s final of the 400m hurdles.

Warholm, who set a sensational world record in winning gold at the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games three years ago, will be joined by arch-rivals Rai Benjamin and Alison Dos Santos, although the latter had to qualify as a fastest loser.

And finally three-time world champion Grant Holloway’s quest for an elusive Olympic 110m hurdles gold remained on track.

The 26-year-old American streaked home in an impressive 12.98sec, finishing far ahead of the rest of the field after a dynamite start.

© AFP