It's not healthy to keep emotions bottled up inside. Releasing them is healthy. That's one of the reasons why so many American men are unhealthy. Didn't you see the movie Inside Out?
I'm not gonna fault him for it because it was a genuine reaction and he was a good sport in congratulating Beamish. I wasn't it expecting it though. I suppose he had a gold or bust mentality and that's why he was so torn up.
I’m sorry I prefer when the athletes actually care. He looked like he had that going to the final barrier. Didn’t go over super smooth and looked like he thought he had it with 20m to go. When Beamish passed him, you could see in his face that he put in that extra 2%.
It was a weird race though. He sat so far back just kind of watching Germa for like 2k. Like he wasn’t really worried about the rest of the field.
I'm not gonna fault him for it because it was a genuine reaction and he was a good sport in congratulating Beamish. I wasn't it expecting it though. I suppose he had a gold or bust mentality and that's why he was so torn up.
I’m sorry I prefer when the athletes actually care. He looked like he had that going to the final barrier. Didn’t go over super smooth and looked like he thought he had it with 20m to go. When Beamish passed him, you could see in his face that he put in that extra 2%.
It was a weird race though. He sat so far back just kind of watching Germa for like 2k. Like he wasn’t really worried about the rest of the field.
If he had cared he wouldn’t have sat idly in the back with a lap to go. He also wouldn’t have slowed in the last 50 (the fact he accelerated when Beamish went by showed he had more left in the tank). So we both like athletes who care - I just prefer mine to care BEFORE the finish line.
If you put yourself in his shoes then it's a totally justified reaction. Morocco have become accustomed (as have most steeplechase fans) to watching him rake in the gold medals. I don't think he felt any ill will to Geordie, in fact them celebrating in the water jump post race is one of the only times I've seen him smile. I think his reaction was more frustration with his race execution, Geordie ran an amazing race but on a day where El Bakkali runs a smart race I don't think he is touchable by anyone in the field. It will certainly be the last time he underestimates a Classic George kick.
After rewatching the race, I think some of his frustration was that he felt he eased up thinking he had won the race and was caught off guard by Geordie. When Geordie pulled close to him it looks like he had another gear but it was too late.
100% this. My wife was screaming at the TV watching the final 50m when El Bakkali was easing up and Beamish was catching him.
You weirdly care about a man you will never meet expresses his emotions. Bizarre.
Compared with El B, you have accomplished nothing of any importance whatsoever in your life, and certainly not in the area that leads you to obsess with him (running).
What grown man rolls around on the ground crying in front of 80,000 people? Is this a Moroccan thing? French influence? Football/soccer influence? Someone please explain this to me. I’m embarrassed for the guy.
Well, he is a grown man that is at the very elite at what he does, where thousands watch his skills in awe. You on the other hand. Who should we be most embarrassed for? I chose you.
I’m sorry I prefer when the athletes actually care. He looked like he had that going to the final barrier. Didn’t go over super smooth and looked like he thought he had it with 20m to go. When Beamish passed him, you could see in his face that he put in that extra 2%.
It was a weird race though. He sat so far back just kind of watching Germa for like 2k. Like he wasn’t really worried about the rest of the field.
If he had cared he wouldn’t have sat idly in the back with a lap to go. He also wouldn’t have slowed in the last 50 (the fact he accelerated when Beamish went by showed he had more left in the tank). So we both like athletes who care - I just prefer mine to care BEFORE the finish line.
Clearly you’ve never raced in a tight finish. You get a burst of adrenaline when someone enters your peripherals. Kind of like that random rise you just got when you read that first sentence. Not to be confused with the rush you just got from that one that just fired you up. Also not to be confused with the rush you are getting thinking you’re gonna roast me in your response.
I don't know why you are saying it's a cultural thing. El G always seemed pretty chill.
It was an extreme reaction, but I respect El Bakkali's passion and he wasn't acting out toward anyone else. He's probably the athletic hero of Morocco with all the pressure that brings.
He probably also thought he made a tactical error in letting the race be so slow and letting a slower runner kick past him. He went into the race with the 2nd best PR and left too many people around at the end, so he lost to a guy who only ran 8:33. I can see why his immediate reaction would be to feel like he missed gold because of a tactical mistake and be mad at himself.
And his nation, Marocco, has aspirations to be the first African nation to host WC in the future, the cultural pressure WAS THERE, just not exactly what ya'll thought. :-)
This post was edited 2 minutes after it was posted.
After rewatching the race, I think some of his frustration was that he felt he eased up thinking he had won the race and was caught off guard by Geordie. When Geordie pulled close to him it looks like he had another gear but it was too late.
Definitely. I'm always amazed these guys aren't aware of the situational influence. El Bakkali assumed he had the race won when he put Girma away. But once Beamish was still in the picture I knew El Bakkali had to accelerate off the last barrier.
Instead he coasted for several steps and deservedly lost. That's why he was pounding his head in the aftermath. It was a self inflicted defeat.
Paul Swangard has improved quite a bit but he blew that call by failing to emphasize the different type of threat that Beamish posed. It would have been so easy for him to alert the audience to what was likely to happen if El Bakkali got lazy. Heck, Kara Goucher had been emphasizing Beamish's kick. She should have interjected approaching the final barrier.
What grown man rolls around on the ground crying in front of 80,000 people? Is this a Moroccan thing? French influence? Football/soccer influence? Someone please explain this to me. I’m embarrassed for the guy.
Watch your language white man and be respectful of other people
What grown man rolls around on the ground crying in front of 80,000 people? Is this a Moroccan thing? French influence? Football/soccer influence? Someone please explain this to me. I’m embarrassed for the guy.
Watch your language white man and be respectful of other people
I’m Asian (naturalised American), you dolt. The world is now full of weak, loud people.
You weirdly care about a man you will never meet expresses his emotions. Bizarre.
Compared with El B, you have accomplished nothing of any importance whatsoever in your life, and certainly not in the area that leads you to obsess with him (running).
I am incredulous at a cry baby rolling around on the track in front of thousands. It’s shocking how frail and feeble the world has become- and maybe that’s just your thing as well…?
Just be aware: the pendulum will eventually swing back the other way, and you will be steamrolled. I suppose you should enjoy the time of celebrated wan and fragility while you can.