# Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Men's 3000 metres steeplechase

The Men's 3000 metres Steeplechase at the 2000 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics programme were held at Stadium Australia on Wednesday 27 September and Friday 29 September 2000. The winning margin was 0.34 seconds.
The top four runners in each of the initial three heats automatically qualified for the final. The next three fastest runners from across the heats also qualified.
Over the previous couple of months, the two Moroccan runners Ali Ezzine and Brahim Boulami had proven they could run with the Kenyans in sub-8:04 races. That still was not in the range of the capability of World Record holder Bernard Barmasai or previous record holder Wilson Boit Kipketer. But the Kenyans did not assert the same dominance they had displayed in the previous three Olympics.
Less than 100 metres into the race, Damian Kallabis fell over the first barrier. A loud sound went off in the stadium as if the race had been recalled, but none of the runners stopped and Kallabis rushed to catch up with the back of the pack. The third Kenyan was Reuben Kosgei, who had won the Athletics Kenya World Championship Trials, not world #2 Moses Kiptanui. The Kenyan trio, took their position at the point of the pack, but Ezzine made it clear he was going to run with them, taking the lead a lap and a half into the race. The Kenyans immediately stopped fighting to keep the lead, Luis Miguel Martin, Ezzine and Simon Vroemen took their turns at the front. After another lap and a half, Kosgei and Kipketer had had enough and moved back into the lead, taking Günther Weidlinger in their move to the front, with Barmasai, Boulami and Eliseo Martin at the back of the group of leaders. With a lap and a half to go, Eliseo Martin went around the pack to challenge Kosgei for the lead. Kosgei sped up just enough to discourage him. Then the Kenyan trio made the push to the front, just past a lap to go, all three were at the front, but Ezzine was right there with them. On the backstretch, Luis Miguel Martin made a rush to the front, again Kosgei wouldn't let him go by. Over the water jump, with all Kenyans taking it as conservatively as the rest of the field Kosgei and Martin arrived at the head of the straightaway almost together, with Kipketer and Barmasai right behind them. When the sprinting started, Martin could not go with them. Kipketer went around the outside, past Martin and into the lead over the last barrier. Kipketer had the advantage shoulder to shoulder with Kosgei, the two collided, Kipketer losing his balance and flailing as Kosgei took the lead back.sprinting to the finish. Kipketer struggled to cross the line in second, while Barmasai was falling further behind, passed by a sprinting Ezzine just before the line.

## Records

World and Olympic records prior to the Games :
| World Record | 7:55.72 | Bernard Barmasai | Kenya | Cologne, Germany | 24 August 1997 |
| Olympic Record | 8:05.51 | Julius Kariuki | Kenya | Seoul, South Korea | 30 September 1988 |

## Medalists

| Gold: | Silver: | Bronze: |
| Reuben Kosgei, Kenya | Wilson Boit Kipketer, Kenya | Ali Ezzine, Morocco |

## Results

All times shown are in seconds.
* Q denotes qualification by place in heat.
* q denotes qualification by overall place.
* DNS denotes did not start.
* DNF denotes did not finish.
* DQ denotes disqualification.
* NR denotes national record.
* AR denotes area/continental record.
* OR denotes Olympic record.
* WR denotes world record.
* PB denotes personal best.
* SB denotes season best.

## Qualifying heats

Heat 1 of 3 Date: Wednesday 27 September 2000 :
| Place | Place | Athlete | Nation | Lane/Order | Time | Qual. | Record |
| Heat | Overall | Athlete | Nation | Lane/Order | Time | Qual. | Record |
| 1 | 5 | Reuben Kosgei | Kenya | 4 | 8:23.17 | Q | |
| 2 | 7 | Ali Ezzine | Morocco | 5 | 8:23.79 | Q | |
| 3 | 10 | Günther Weidlinger | Austria | 12 | 8:24.07 | Q | |
| 4 | 13 | Eliseo Martin | Spain | 6 | 8:24.97 | Q | |
| 5 | 16 | Mark Croghan | United States | 11 | 8:25.88 | | |
| 6 | 22 | Bouabdellah Tahri | France | 13 | 8:34.69 | | |
| 7 | 25 | Maru Daba | Ethiopia | 7 | 8:35.34 | | |
| 8 | 27 | Florin Ionescu | Romania | 3 | 8:37.44 | | |
| 9 | 29 | Serhiy Redko | Ukraine | 1 | 8:40.51 | | |
| 10 | 32 | Christian Stephenson | Great Britain | 8 | 8:46.66 | | |
| 11 | 35 | Mourad Benslimani | Algeria | 2 | 8:59.07 | | |
| 12 | 36 | Chris Unthank | Australia | 9 | 9:11.19 | | |
| 13 | 39 | Primo Higa | Solomon Islands | 10 | 9:44.12 | | |
Heat 2 of 3 Date: Wednesday 27 September 2000 :
| Place | Place | Athlete | Nation | Lane/Order | Time | Qual. | Record |
| Heat | Overall | Athlete | Nation | Lane/Order | Time | Qual. | Record |
| 1 | 4 | Bernard Barmasai | Kenya | 6 | 8:23.08 | Q | |
| 2 | 6 | Jim Svenøy | Norway | 8 | 8:23.61 | Q | SB |
| 3 | 8 | Khamis Abdullah Saifeldin | Qatar | 11 | 8:23.94 | Q | |
| 4 | 9 | Luis Miguel Martin | Spain | 3 | 8:24.04 | Q | |
| 5 | 12 | Damian Kallabis | Germany | 4 | 8:24.48 | q | |
| 6 | 14 | Gael Pencreach | France | 13 | 8:25.35 | q | |
| 7 | 17 | Joël Bourgeois | Canada | 1 | 8:28.07 | | |
| 8 | 20 | Christian Belz | Switzerland | 3 | 8:33.45 | | |
| 9 | 21 | Rafal Wojcik | Poland | 9 | 8:33.51 | | |
| 10 | 24 | Anthony Cosey | United States | 10 | 8:35.25 | | |
| 11 | 31 | El Arbi Khattabi | Morocco | 7 | 8:43.46 | | |
| 12 | 38 | Giorgios Giannelis | Greece | 5 | 9:19.14 | | |
| | | Stathis Stasi | Cyprus | 2 | DNF | | |
Heat 3 of 3 Date: Wednesday 27 September 2000 :
| Place | Place | Athlete | Nation | Lane/Order | Time | Qual. | Record |
| Heat | Overall | Athlete | Nation | Lane/Order | Time | Qual. | Record |
| 1 | 1 | Laid Bessou | Algeria | 1 | 8:21.14 | Q | |
| 2 | 2 | Wilson Boit Kipketer | Kenya | 5 | 8:22.07 | Q | |
| 3 | 3 | Simon Vroemen | Netherlands | 9 | 8:22.13 | Q | |
| 4 | 11 | Brahim Boulami | Morocco | 6 | 8:24.43 | Q | |
| 5 | 15 | Manuel Silva | Portugal | 14 | 8:25.70 | q | |
| 6 | 18 | Pascal Dobert | United States | 3 | 8:29.52 | | |
| 7 | 19 | Justin Chaston | Great Britain | 4 | 8:31.01 | | |
| 8 | 23 | Lotfi Turki | Tunisia | 12 | 8:34.84 | | |
| 9 | 26 | Salvador Miranda | Mexico | 8 | 8:35.79 | | |
| 10 | 28 | Marco Cepeda | Spain | 2 | 8:40.01 | | |
| 11 | 30 | Iaroslav Musinschi | Moldova | 7 | 8:42.04 | | |
| 12 | 33 | Giuseppe Maffei | Italy | 13 | 8:48.88 | | |
| 13 | 34 | Vladimir Pronin | Russia | 11 | 8:57.69 | | |
| 14 | 37 | Eduardo Buenavista | Philippines | 10 | 9:13.71 | | |
Overall Results Round 1
Semi-Finals Overall Results :
| Place | Athlete | Nation | Heat | Lane/Order | Place | Time | Qual. | Record |
| 1 | Laid Bessou | Algeria | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8:21.14 | Q | |
| 2 | Wilson Boit Kipketer | Kenya | 3 | 5 | 2 | 8:22.07 | Q | |
| 3 | Simon Vroemen | Netherlands | 3 | 9 | 3 | 8:22.13 | Q | |
| 4 | Bernard Barmasai | Kenya | 2 | 6 | 1 | 8:23.08 | Q | |
| 5 | Reuben Kosgei | Kenya | 1 | 4 | 1 | 8:23.17 | Q | |
| 6 | Jim Svenøy | Norway | 2 | 8 | 2 | 8:23:61 | Q | SB |
| 7 | Ali Ezzine | Morocco | 1 | 5 | 2 | 8:23.79 | Q | |
| 8 | Khamis Abdullah Saifeldin | Qatar | 2 | 11 | 2 | 8:23.94 | Q | |
| 9 | Luis Miguel Martin | Spain | 2 | 3 | 4 | 8:24.04 | Q | |
| 10 | Günther Weidlinger | Austria | 1 | 12 | 3 | 8:24.07 | Q | |
| 11 | Brahim Boulami | Morocco | 3 | 6 | 4 | 8:24.43 | Q | |
| 12 | Damian Kallabis | Germany | 2 | 4 | 5 | 8:24.48 | Q | |
| 13 | Eliseo Martin | Spain | 1 | 6 | 4 | 8:24.97 | Q | |
| 14 | Gael Pencreach | France | 2 | 13 | 6 | 8:25.35 | q | |
| 15 | Manuel Silva | Portugal | 3 | 14 | 15 | 8:25.70 | q | |
| 16 | Mark Croghan | United States | 1 | 11 | 5 | 8:25.88 | | |
| 17 | Joël Bourgeois | Canada | 2 | 1 | 7 | 8:28.07 | | |
| 18 | Pascal Dobert | United States | 3 | 3 | 6 | 8:29.52 | | |
| 19 | Justin Chaston | Great Britain | 3 | 4 | 7 | 8:31.01 | | |
| 20 | Christian Belz | Switzerland | 2 | 12 | 8 | 8:33.45 | | |
| 21 | Rafal Wojcik | Poland | 2 | 9 | 9 | 8:33.51 | | |
| 22 | Bouabdellah Tahri | France | 1 | 13 | 6 | 8:34.69 | | |
| 23 | Lotfi Turki | Tunisia | 3 | 12 | 8 | 8:34.84 | | |
| 24 | Anthony Cosey | United States | 2 | 10 | 10 | 8:35.25 | | |
| 25 | Maru Daba | Ethiopia | 1 | 7 | 7 | 8:35.34 | | |
| 26 | Salvador Miranda | Mexico | 3 | 8 | 9 | 8:35.79 | | |
| 27 | Florin Ionescu | Romania | 1 | 3 | 8 | 8:37.44 | | |
| 28 | Marco Cepeda | Spain | 3 | 2 | 10 | 8:40.01 | | |
| 29 | Sergiy Redko | Ukraine | 1 | 1 | 9 | 8:40.51 | | |
| 30 | Iaroslav Musinschi | Moldova | 3 | 7 | 11 | 8:42.04 | | |
| 31 | El Arbi Khattabi | Morocco | 2 | 7 | 11 | 8:43.46 | | |
| 32 | Christian Stephenson | Great Britain | 1 | 8 | 10 | 8:46.66 | | |
| 33 | Giuseppe Maffei | Italy | 3 | 13 | 12 | 8:48.88 | | |
| 34 | Vladimir Pronin | Russia | 3 | 11 | 13 | 8:57.69 | | |
| 35 | Mourad Benslimani | Algeria | 1 | 2 | 11 | 8:59.07 | | |
| 36 | Chris Unthank | Australia | 1 | 9 | 12 | 9:11.19 | | |
| 37 | Eduardo Buenavista | Philippines | 3 | 10 | 14 | 9:13.71 | | |
| 38 | Giorgios Giannelis | Greece | 2 | 5 | 12 | 9:19.14 | | |
| 39 | Primo Higa | Solomon Islands | 1 | 10 | 13 | 9:44.12 | | |
| | Stathis Stasi | Cyprus | 2 | 2 | | DNF | | |

## Finals

Finals Overall Results :
| Place | Athlete | Nation | Lane/Order | Time |
| | Reuben Kosgei | Kenya | 15 | 8:21.43 |
| | Wilson Boit Kipketer | Kenya | 14 | 8:21.77 |
| | Ali Ezzine | Morocco | 13 | 8:22.15 |
| 4 | Bernard Barmasai | Kenya | 11 | 8:22.23 |
| 5 | Luis Miguel Martin | Spain | 12 | 8:22.75 |
| 6 | Eliseo Martin | Spain | 1 | 8:23:00 |
| 7 | Brahim Boulami | Morocco | 1 | 8:24.32 |
| 8 | Günther Weidlinger | Austria | 3 | 8:26.70 |
| 9 | Jim Svenøy | Norway | 7 | 8:27.20 |
| 10 | Khamis Abdullah Saifeldin | Qatar | 6 | 8:30.89 |
| 11 | Laid Bessou | Algeria | 8 | 8:33.07 |
| 12 | Simon Vroemen | Netherlands | 9 | 8:37.87 |
| 13 | Manuel Silva | Portugal | 2 | 8:38.63 |
| 14 | Gael Pencreach | France | 5 | 8:41.19 |
| 15 | Damian Kallabis | Germany | 10 | 9:09.78 |