Kenneth Rooks Made A Bold Move To Take Silver In Olympic 3K Steeplechase

Kenneth Rooks measured his move just past the bell lap of the men’s 3,000 meter steeplechase final on Wednesday.

He almost ended up stealing an Olympic title in the process.

The BYU graduate came up just short, finishing second overall in the Olympic final inside Stade de France in a time of 8:06.41, which was just 0.36 seconds shy of the Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali, who doubled up with his second straight gold medal performance in 8:06.05.

But what a move it was.

The fast-emerging U.S. steeplechase star went for it, surging past the leaders with 400 meters to go. It was only in the final steps that Bakkali, who entered the Olympics off a short season and only one steeplechase to his 2024 record, passed him.

“It’s surreal,” Rooks told reporters in the mixed zone following the race. “It was an amazing feeling to take the lead that last lap and to just let loose and go for it and realize that, like, I might actually win the thing for a second.”

Rooks’ performance was an all-timer. He jumped up the U.S. standings in a heartbeat, recording the eighth-best 3K steeplechase performance and is now the second-fastest athlete in American history, only behind Evan Jager, who last won Olympic silver in 2016.

“We thought this race might go out fast,” Rooks said. “And so if it went out fast, the goal was to hold on to a fast pace — 65s, that was what our plan was … the goal was to try and stay relaxed as possible with hurtling.”

It was an incredibly bold move from the 24-year-old U.S. champion who finished 10th at the World Championships a year ago and only really burst on to the global scene in 2023, winning his first U.S. title in dramatic fashion after falling earlier in the race.

“As long as I finished and fighting back for the silver, it was yeah, man, it’s just a dream,” he said. “Sometimes when you go to bed, you think about moments like this. And to be able to live it is just incredible.”

Rooks’ finish dropped his career best down by nearly nine seconds and reaffirmed his ascendance as one of the U.S.’s top growing steeplechasers, marking the latest silver medal from a country which is building its reputation in the distance ranks.

“Sometimes when you go to bed, you think about moments like this. And to be able to live it is just incredible.”

So far this Olympic period, the U.S. has won a cadence of medals including bronze in the 10K, gold in the 1,500m and now silver in the 3K steeplechase.

The race took a dramatic turn over the penultimate barrier, as Lamecha Girma, the reigning runner-up from 2021, clipped the hurdle, flipped over and landed on his back on the track.

Rooks, an NCAA champion in 2023 and three-time All-American for BYU, was in 10th place at the 2K mark in 5:30.6. He’s coached by BYU coach Ed Eyestone.

He opened his Olympic Games on Monday by finishing second in his heat and fighting off a slow pace to qualify for the final.