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Athletics-Morocco's El Bakkali Retains Steeplechase Title after Shocking Girma Fall

Paris 2024 Olympics - Athletics - Men's 3000m Steeplechase Final - Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France - August 07, 2024. Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco celebrates after winning gold. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier Purchase Licensing Rights
Paris 2024 Olympics - Athletics - Men's 3000m Steeplechase Final - Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France - August 07, 2024. Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco celebrates after winning gold. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier Purchase Licensing Rights
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Athletics-Morocco's El Bakkali Retains Steeplechase Title after Shocking Girma Fall

Paris 2024 Olympics - Athletics - Men's 3000m Steeplechase Final - Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France - August 07, 2024. Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco celebrates after winning gold. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier Purchase Licensing Rights
Paris 2024 Olympics - Athletics - Men's 3000m Steeplechase Final - Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France - August 07, 2024. Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco celebrates after winning gold. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier Purchase Licensing Rights

Soufiane El Bakkali retained his Olympic men's 3,000 meters steeplechase title to deliver Morocco's first medal of the Games on Wednesday, as Ethiopian world record holder Lamecha Girma was taken to hospital after a horrific fall.

El Bakkali clocked a time of eight minutes 6.05 seconds as American Kenneth Rooks took silver in 8:06.41 and Kenya's Abraham Kibiwot claimed bronze, Reuters reported.

The win was overshadowed by the injury to Girma who tripped over a barrier on the last lap and fell hard to the track, lying motionless as medical staff rushed to attend to him.

His eyes were open and he was wearing a neck brace as staff members carried him off on a stretcher and a medic told Reuters that he was taken to a hospital. French media reported he was conscious and speaking.

"Following his fall in the 3,000m steeplechase, Lamecha Girma received immediate care from the on-site medical teams. Our thoughts are with him and we are sending him our very best wishes for a swift recovery," Paris 2024 said in a statement.

"Paris 2024 is in close contact with the Ethiopian NOC to stay updated on his condition."

The race had all the makings of an epic duel as El Bakkali waited in the middle of the pack before making his move with about 300 metres to go, chasing down Girma who was flying through the field.

Events took a jarring turn, however, when Girma fell, drawing gasps from the crowd.

El Bakkali chased down Rooks over the final bend but the American dug deep to produce a personal best time and claim a surprise silver.

The Moroccan held his arms out wide as he crossed the finish to become the first back-to-back winner of the event since Finland's Volmari Iso-Hollo in 1932 and 1936, while medical staff were still tending to Girma.

The fans at the Stade de France offered a smattering of applause as he was strapped to a stretcher and carried out through a tunnel.

"I actually didn’t know how bad the fall was - I didn’t know who fell until after the race - so I’ll just keep him in my prayers," said Rooks.

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Brazil Sets Up Olympic Final Against US in Women’s Soccer

Brazil's Gabi Portilho, center, and Gabi Nunes celebrate their team's 4-2 victory over Spain at the end of a women's semifinal soccer match at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, at Marseille Stadium in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Brazil's Gabi Portilho, center, and Gabi Nunes celebrate their team's 4-2 victory over Spain at the end of a women's semifinal soccer match at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, at Marseille Stadium in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
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Brazil Sets Up Olympic Final Against US in Women’s Soccer

Brazil's Gabi Portilho, center, and Gabi Nunes celebrate their team's 4-2 victory over Spain at the end of a women's semifinal soccer match at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, at Marseille Stadium in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Brazil's Gabi Portilho, center, and Gabi Nunes celebrate their team's 4-2 victory over Spain at the end of a women's semifinal soccer match at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, at Marseille Stadium in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Brazil will meet the United States in the final of the Olympic women’s soccer tournament after beating world champion Spain 4-2 on Tuesday.
Gabi Portilho, Adriana and Kerolin struck in a thrilling semifinal at Stade de Marseille after an own-goal from Irene Paredes had put the two-time silver medalist in front.
“It’s a dream, and dreams come true,” said Kerolin, whose goal in the first of more than 15 minutes of stoppage time helped to hold off a late Spain fightback. “I’m so excited, so excited, so excited and I’m really, really, really impressed by my teammates.”
Victory means Brazil great Marta has the chance to end her glittering international career by competing for gold after being suspended for the quarterfinals and semifinals.
The 38-year-old Marta has said her sixth Olympics will be her last major tournament with the national team.
“We just knew what we came to do today, and it was a final for us today,” said Angelina, who was leading the Brazil team. “So, we were just very determined and we just came for the win.”
According to The Associated Press, Angelina said the Brazil squad needed to “celebrate a little bit” but quickly focus on the final.
“It was a big win. Again, Spain is an amazing team and we knew that,” she said. “So now we need to rest and we need to study a lot, and see what we can do against the US.”
Spain won’t get the chance in Paris to further cement its place at the top of women’s soccer by adding Olympic gold to the World Cup it won last year.
But there’s plenty still to play for at the Paris Games.
“We keep fighting for something super nice and it will continue to be the Olympics until the end,” Spain forward Jennifer Hermoso said. “A bronze medal is also very difficult to get.”
Paredes’ sixth-minute own goal put Brazil in control and Portilho doubled the advantage in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time.
Adriana’s header in the 71st underlined Brazil’s dominance. But with the win seemingly assured, there was far more drama to come.
Salma Paralluelo pulled a goal back for Spain with a header in the 85th and almost immediately Alexia Putellas struck the bar with a shot from outside the area.
Kerolin made it 4-1 — shooting through Spain goalkeeper Cata Coll’s legs.
Paralluelo got her second in the 12th minute of stoppage time, but by then it was too late for Spain to mount a comeback.
Brazil will play the four-time champion US women’s national team in Saturday’s final at Parc des Princes in Paris.
Spain plays Germany in Lyon for bronze.
Brazil has been twice beaten in an Olympic final by the US — at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.
It secured a place in the final for the third time after making amends for a 2-0 loss to Spain in the group phase of the tournament.
That was a game that also saw Marta red-carded, and Brazil received confirmation just hours before kickoff in the semifinals that its appeal against her ban had been rejected.
In the end, Brazil didn’t need its greatest player on this occasion and took a big step toward the final early on after a calamitous mix up in Spain’s defense when Coll - under pressure from Priscila - attempted a clearance that came back off Paredes and into her own net.
Brazil dominated the chances - repeatedly getting through on goal - and made its superiority count just before halftime through Portilho, who slotted into the bottom corner from Yasmim’s cross.
Adriana made it 3-0 after seeing her initial effort hit the bar from six yards and then heading in from Portilho’s nod back across goal.
Spain, which had fought back from 2-0 down to beat Colombia in the quarterfinals, gave its fans hope through Paralluelo’s header. But when Kerolin put Brazil 4-1 ahead, a second for Paralluelo proved to be nothing more than a consolation.
“We showed the world that we have a young team and a team that has a very good tactical understanding, that competes, that will always be like this — competitive,” Brazil coach Arthur Elias said. “Brazil in women’s football is a source of great pride.”