Emmanuel Wanyonyi (born 1 August 2004)[3] is a Kenyan middle-distance runner specializing in the 800 metres, who won the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in this event. With his personal best of 1:41.11 set at the 2024 Lausanne Diamond League, Wanyonyi and Wilson Kipketer are tied for second place in the all-time 800 meter list, behind only Wanyonyi's compatriot David Rudisha, who holds the world record.[4] Wanyonyi also briefly held the world record in the road mile, with a time of 3:54.56, from April 2024 to September 2024.

Emmanuel Wanyonyi
Personal information
NationalityKenyan
Born1 August 2004 (2004-08) (age 20)
Kapretwa, Trans-Nzoia County, Kenya
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Sport
CountryKenya
SportAthletics
EventMiddle-distance running
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking1st (800m, 2023)[2]
Personal best(s)800 m: 1:41.11 (Lausanne 2024)
Road Mile: 3:54.56 (Herzogenaurach 2024)
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Kenya
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2024 Paris 800 m
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2023 Budapest 800 m
Diamond League
First place 2023 800 m
First place 2024 800 m
World U20 Championships
Gold medal – first place 2021 Nairobi 800 m
World Cross Country Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Bathurst Mixed relay

Career

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At the age of 18, he placed fourth at the 2022 World Athletics Championships.[5] Wanyonyi won the gold medal at the 2021 World Under-20 Championships, setting a championship record in the process.[6][7]

At the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Wanyonyi finished 2nd to Marco Arop in the 800m, with a time of 1:44.53 while Arop ran 1:44.24.[8]

Wanyonyi broke the world road mile record with a time of 3:54.56 at the adizero Road to Records event in Herzogenaurach, Germany, on April 27, 2024. The previous record of 3:56.13 belonged to American athlete Hobbs Kessler, who finished second to Wanyonyi in a time of 3:56.18.[9] Wanyonyi's record has since been broken by British athlete Elliot Giles, who ran 3:51.3 in September 2024.[10]

In June 2024, Wanyonyi ran 1:41.70 to win the 800 m at the 2024 Athletics Kenya Olympic Trials, making him then the 3rd-fastest performer ever over 800 metres, behind Wilson Kipketer's 1:41.11 and David Rudisha's world record of 1:40.91.[11][12]

On 7 July 2024, at the Meeting de Paris, Wanyonyi came in second place to Djamel Sedjati in the 800 meters, running a personal best of 1:41.58 while Sedjati ran 1:41.56. At the time, this made Wanyonyi and Sedjati the fourth and third fastest 800 meter runners in history, respectively.[13]

At the 2024 Olympic Games, Wanyonyi made it through the heats and semifinals of the 800m. In the final, he won the gold medal in a time of 1:41.19, surpassing Djamel Sedjati to become the third fastest man in history at the distance, behind only fellow Kenyan David Rudisha and Danish athlete Wilson Kipketer.[14] Only one hundredth of a second behind Wanyonyi was the 2023 800m World Champion Marco Arop, who set a new North, Central American, and Caribbean area record.[15]

On 22 August 2024, Wanyonyi lowered his 800 meter personal best by 0.08 seconds to 1:41.11 at the Lausanne Diamond League. This time tied Wilson Kipketer's 1997 personal best, making Wanyonyi and Kipketer tied for second place in the all-time 800 meter list, behind only David Rudisha.[16]

Achievements

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Circuit wins

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Track records

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As of 28 September 2024, Wanyonyi holds the following track records for 800 metres.

Location Time Date
Budapest 1:43.83 24/08/2023
Lausanne 1:41.11
PB
22/08/2024
Marrakesh 1:43.84 19/05/2024
Nairobi 1:41.70 15/06/2024
Saint-Denis, Paris 1:41.19 10/08/2024
Xiamen 1:43.20 02/09/2023

References

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  1. ^ "WANYONYI Emmanuel | Paris 2024". olympics.com. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  2. ^ IAAF World Ranking
  3. ^ "Emmanuel WANYONYI | Profile | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2021-08-22.
  4. ^ "800 Metres - men - senior - all". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
  5. ^ "Spotlight on Rising Stars: Adriana Vilagos and Emmanuel Wanyonyi". World Athletics. 2022-11-11. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
  6. ^ "Kenya's Emmanuel Wanyonyi wins Gold in men's 800m finals as compatriot Noah Kibet wins bronze". The Standard. 2021-08-22. Retrieved 2021-08-22.
  7. ^ Joshua, Elvince (2021-08-20). "Emmanuel Wanyonyi: Former herdsman to gold hunter". The Standard. Retrieved 2021-08-22.
  8. ^ "800 Metres Result | World Athletics Championships, Budapest 2023". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  9. ^ "Wanyonyi runs world road mile record in Herzogenaurach".
  10. ^ "1 Mile Road - men - senior - all". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  11. ^ Emmanuel Wanyonyi at World Athletics  
  12. ^ "800 Metres - men - senior - all". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  13. ^ LetsRun.com (2024-07-06). "2024 Paris Diamond League Results - Meeting De Paris Results". LetsRun.com. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  14. ^ "800 Metres - men - senior - all".
  15. ^ "MEN'S 800M FINAL RESULTS".
  16. ^ "2024 Lausanne Diamond League: Emmanuel Wanyonyi steals the show to become second-fastest 800m runner in history".
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