Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi added a world title to his growing resume, outduelling defending champion Marco Arop of Canada in a thrilling 800m final.
The 21-year-old Kenyan credited his win to strong physical and mental preparation, knowing the race would be anything but easy.
Wanyonyi drew inspiration from two-time Olympic and world champion David Rudisha, who offered advice the day before the race. “He told me to rest, focus, and believe anything is possible,” Wanyonyi said. “I’m proud to win this for Kenya and Africa.”
Rudisha, who still holds the 800m world record (1:40.91) from the 2012 London Olympics, remains a symbol of Kenyan excellence in the event. Wanyonyi, who burst onto the scene with gold at the 2021 World U20 Championships, now has his sights set on defending both his world and Olympic titles, with Los Angeles 2028 as his main target. “Maybe I’ll start thinking about the world record too,” he added.
In a historic final, Ireland’s Cian McPhillips set a national record of 1:42.15 to finish fourth, as all top eight runners broke the 1:43 barrier, a first in 800m history.