Emmanuel Wanyonyi, a 19-year-old Kenyan athlete, has made headlines by recording the third-fastest time ever in the men’s 800m event. During the Nairobi Athletics Olympics Trials on Saturday, Wanyonyi clocked an impressive 1:41.70, securing his spot at the 2024 Paris Games and achieving the swiftest pace seen since 2012.
Wanyonyi’s journey to this remarkable achievement wasn’t without challenges. He nearly missed the finals due to a stumble in Friday’s semi-finals but bounced back to establish himself as one of the fastest men in the history of the event. Reflecting on his experience, Wanyonyi said, “If I didn’t fall yesterday, I would not have run like this today, so everything happens for a reason.”
His time places him behind only Kenya’s two-time Olympic champion David Rudisha and Denmark’s Wilson Kipketer. Rudisha holds the world record at 1:40.91 and has also recorded the second- and third-quickest times, while Kipketer boasts a time of 1:41.11.
In addition to Wanyonyi’s performance, the trials saw other notable achievements. Sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala qualified for the Kenyan team with a world-leading time of 9.79 seconds in the men’s 100 metres. This marks a significant comeback for Omanyala, who set the African record of 9.77 in Nairobi last year.
Middle- and long-distance runner Faith Kipyegon also had a successful outing, winning both the 1500m and 5,000m races. The double Olympic champion expressed optimism about her prospects for the upcoming Paris Olympics, aiming to add two more medals to her collection.
The athletics competition at the Stade de France in Paris is scheduled to run from August 1 to August 11, 2024, and will feature some of the world’s top athletes, including the talented Emmanuel Wanyonyi and his fellow Kenyan team members.
