Serem chases sub-eight breakthrough as Paris and Monaco DL beckon ahead of Commonwealth Games bid

Edmund Serem/ FILE

World 3,000m steeplechase bronze medallist Edmund Serem has set his sights on even faster times when he lines up at the Paris and Monaco Diamond League meetings as he fine-tunes his form for an attack at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games later in August.

Serem heads into the two-circuit buoyed by a strong showing at last weekend's Stockholm Diamond League, where he produced a determined run to finish second in 8:12.27.

The race was won by Morocco's two-time Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali, who surged to victory in 8:10.40, while Kenya's Abraham Kibiwot completed the podium after clocking 8:12.75.

Reflecting on his Stockholm outing, Serem expressed satisfaction with securing a place on the podium. "I am pleased with second place, as I really wanted to get on the podium today," Serem said.

Despite the encouraging result, the rising steeplechase star admitted he had targeted a much quicker performance. "I was hoping to run under eight minutes, but the race didn't work out like that today, plus it was too windy," he said. "I just tried my best, and I was happy with my strong finish."

Serem also highlighted the importance of the result in his quest to qualify strongly for the Diamond League final. "It's good Diamond League points ahead of my big goal to do well in the final."

Currently, El Bakkali tops the men's 3,000m steeplechase standings with 16 points, while Serem sits second on 12 points, and compatriot Simon Koech occupies third place with nine points.

Before turning his attention to the Diamond League final, Serem hopes to continue his upward trajectory and chase fast times in Paris and Monaco. "I ran a PB in Rabat, so I hope to run well again in Paris, and then I will head to Monaco," he noted.

In Rabat, Serem delivered a lifetime best of 8:01.61, narrowly missing out on the podium as he finished fourth in a high-quality field. That race saw El Bakkali storm to victory in 7:57.25, holding off Germany's Frederik Ruppert, who clocked 7:57.80 for second place, while Koech claimed third in 7:59.44.

Serem's season started on mixed footing at the Kip Keino Classic on April 24, where he finished fourth before a home crowd after posting 8:25.45. Ethiopia's Gemechu Godana won the race in 8:14.55, with Koech (8:15.71) and Leonard Bett (8:25.06) taking second and third places, respectively.

The young water-and-barrier specialist also has his eyes firmly fixed on adding a Commonwealth Games title to his rapidly growing trophy cabinet. "With no major championships this year, my main aim is to win the Commonwealth Games," he said.

Serem's list of achievements already includes the World U20 title he captured in Lima, Peru, in 2024, where he clocked 8:15.28 to lead Kenya's Mathew Kosgei (8:17.46) and Ethiopia's Hailu Ayalew (8:24.08). He is also a silver medallist from the 2024 African Championships in Douala, Cameroon, having posted 8:21.94 to finish behind Uganda's Leonard Chemutai, who won in 8:21.30.

Last year, Serem announced himself on the global stage with a bronze medal at the World Championships in Tokyo, clocking 8:34.56 to finish behind New Zealand's Geordie Beamish (8:33.88) and El Bakkali (8:33.95).