Gemechu Godana Stuns Soufiane El Bakkali as Edmund Serem Fades to Sixth in Silesia

Ethiopia’s Gemechu Godana upstaged Morocco's steeplechase star Soufiane El Bakkali to storm to victory in 8:02.74, setting both a Meeting Record and a Personal Best at the Diamond League Meeting in Silesia.

El Bakkali was forced to settle for second place after crossing the line in 8:04.61. Morocco’s Salah Eddine Ben Yazide earned a spot on the podium, taking third in a personal best time of 8:05.08.

Luxembourg’s Ruben Querinjean completed the top four, clocking a National Record of 8:05.36. Kenya's Edmund Serem also featured in the fast-paced race, crossing the line in sixth position with a time of 8:09.57.

Gemechu Godana has enjoyed an exceptional 2026 campaign, from launching his season indoors with a 3000m win in Moscow (7:43.93) before taking second at the Ethiopian Championships (8:35.83) and winning the Addis Ababa Grand Prix (8:32.10).

Transitioning to international competition, he captured victories at both the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi (8:14.55) and the African Athletics Championships in Accra (8:38.37).

He also placed fourth on the roads over 5km in Lille (13:02) before sharpening his track form at the Paris Diamond League, where he clocked a swift 8:05.86 for second place before securing his major win in Silesia.

Morocco’s steeplechase king Soufiane El Bakkali has continued his dominant form on the Diamond League circuit with a flawless string of victories.

He opened his campaign in style on May 31, 2026, storming to a blistering world-leading time of 7:57.25 to win at his home meeting in Rabat.

El Bakkali followed up that masterclass by claiming top honours at the Bauhaus-Galán in Stockholm on June 7, clocking 8:10.40. He then travelled to Doha, where he sealed yet another commanding win on June 19 with a time of 8:09.28.

On his part, before lining up in Silesia, Edmund Serem had put together a remarkably consistent campaign across major domestic and international meets.

The ultimate highlight came at the XXIII Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where he stormed to a gold-medal victory in a time of 8:18.23.

Before his championship triumph in Scotland, he demonstrated top-tier form on the Diamond League circuit, placing second in Stockholm (8:12.27) and taking third-place podium finishes in Paris (8:08.54) and Monaco (8:11.15).

He booked his ticket to the Games at the Kenyan Commonwealth Trials in Nairobi, clocking 8:20.37 to secure second place.

Serem also posted his fastest time of the season in Rabat with an impressive 8:01.61, alongside a strong fourth-place finish at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi (8:25.85).