The 28-year-old - who ran a 3000m personal best of 7:33.87 in Doha 2023 - enjoyed an unbeaten season of five wins in steeplechase finals from May through to September. Most notable was his second successive global title at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest where his blistering finishing kick destroyed the despondent world record holder Lamecha Girma in the closing stages. He also smashed his lifetime best with an incredible 7:56.68 at the Diamond League meeting in Rabat.
El Bakkali has previously spoken of his aim to break the world record, but his goal for 2024 is to win Olympic gold in Paris.
“It means a lot to me to compete at the Doha Meeting where I feel privileged to have such great supporters,” said the 2022 Wanda Diamond League champion. “Last year was special for me. I was really proud to win another gold medal in Budapest and it’s given me even more motivation for the Olympic Games this summer. Now it’s about preparing in the best way possible, and I hope that my performance in Doha will give me confidence as I build towards that goal.”
Mohammed Al Fadala, Qatar Athletics Federation president, believes that the Doha Meeting has established itself as one of the leading Wanda Diamond League events. In doing so, it has become a key fixture for many athletes.
“The Doha Meeting continues to grow its reputation and profile on the global athletics circuit and that attracts big names,” he said. “Last year’s event lived up to our high expectations with three meeting records, four national records and a vocal sell-out crowd. In 2024, we will once again welcome the best athletes in the world to the Qatar Sports Club and provide them with our exceptional hospitality. As an ambitious nation, our commitment to delivering world class sporting events remains one of our key priorities and we look forward to providing the perfect stage for top quality performances.”
The Seashore Group Doha Meeting is the third meeting of the 2024 Wanda Diamond League. The series comprises 15 meetings in total across four different continents, starting with Xiamen on 20 April and concluding with a single final across two days in Brussels (13-14 September). Each of the 14 series meetings will be broadcast globally in a live two-hour programme.
Tickets for the Seashore Group Doha Meeting are available at: https://events.q-tickets.com/qatar/eventdetails/4017252830/wanda-diamond-league
