New Zealand’s Geordie Beamish pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent athletics history, storming to gold in the men’s 3000m steeplechase and denying Moroccan star Soufiane El Bakkali a fifth successive global title.
El Bakkali, the reigning Olympic and world champion, appeared to race control after powering to the front at the bell. But Beamish, famed for his devastating finishing kick, unleashed a remarkable burst of speed down the home straight to dip across the line first in 8 minutes 33.88 seconds, just seven hundredths of a second ahead of the stunned favourite.
The victory capped a remarkable turnaround for Beamish, who had fallen in his heat just days earlier, even suffering a blow to the head, before recovering to qualify. Seventeen-year-old Kenyan prodigy Edmund Serum, training under marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge, impressed with a bronze medal finish in 8:34.56.
For Beamish, the achievement was historic. Arriving in Tokyo ranked only 31st in the world this year, few expected him to even reach the podium. But the slow early pace worked in his favour, and when El Bakkali clipped the final barrier, the Kiwi seized his chance, RNZ reported.
“This was a turn-up, wasn’t it? That was pretty unreal,” a jubilant Beamish, 28, said. “I just gave myself a shot in the last 200 metres. I knew I had it in me tonight. I only knew I’d won one metre before the finish—and that was enough. It’s a first track gold for New Zealand at a world championships, which is pretty cool,” quoted RNZ.
According to RNZ, El Bakkali, gracious in defeat despite his disappointment, admitted: “I had good tactics, but I clipped the last barrier and lost balance. It was not the result I wanted, but sport wins tonight. I congratulated the athlete from New Zealand.”
Beamish’s brother, Hugo, a former steeplechaser himself, said the win reflected his sibling’s trademark racing style. “He’s got a habit of making it stressful, leaving it until the last 10 metres. But he always finds a way. We are super-stoked for him,” reported RNZ.
The drama of the steeplechase was matched by another record-breaking feat at the championships. Swedish pole vault sensation Mondo Duplantis broke the world record for the 14th time, soaring to 6.30 metres on his third attempt to secure his third straight world title. Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis took silver with 6.00m, while Australia’s Kurtis Marschall claimed bronze with 5.95m.
Beamish’s triumph, however, stood out as the fairytale moment of the night, a Kiwi underdog who defied the odds, the barriers, and one of the sport’s greatest champions to etch his name in history.
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