I have gone back and rewatched the broadcasts for the first five Diamond League Meetings. One by One, I wanted to comment on some of the points we missed on the first go-round. Rabat was the second meeting of 2023, held on May 28, 2023.
Rabat-What made the meet special in 2023? Five Thoughts.
The Rabat Diamond League happened May 28,2023, and it was the second Diamond.
League meeting of 2023.
Here are my five deep thoughts on what made the meet so entertaining in 2023:
1. The Fred Kerley Show-Fred has run the 100 meters, 200 meters, and 400 meters in 2023. His performance in Rabat, over 100 meters, showed that the man is dominating in every race and every distance that he competes.
2. Jakob Ingegrigtsen-Any time the Norwegian shows up, it is truly about how this distance dynamo competes and takes on all challenges. I can not help but compare Jakob to Mondo Duplantis. And Ingebrigtsen is great not only for Norway but also for Europe!
3. Gudaf Tsegay and the Ethiopian story. The women of Ethiopian track and field are numerous and talented. Tsegay, the gold medalist at 5000m from the WC and silver medalist from the 1500m in Eugene, is at the top of her game. She is a medal contender in each and every race she runs.
4. Yaroslava Mahuchikh entertains; Yaroslava, the Ukrainian star, cleared 2.01 meters and showed that she is a true talent and ready to lead her event. The women’s high jump has some tough competitors; one wonders what heights Yaroslava will achieve in 2023!
5. Soufianne El Bakkali. After interviewing Soufianne in Doha, I realized how proud he is to entertain his countrypeople and the Moroccan royal family. A truly talented distance runner, who can race world-class from 1,500m to 3000m (his coach does not like him racing the 5,000 meters), El Bakkali’s 7:56.58 was the talk of his country after the meeting.
The Rabat Diamond League continues to grow in stature and build a presence for athletics in Northern Africa. As the sport builds its reputation in Africa, the Rabat meet should grow in stature.
