Paris 2024: Kenya's Wanyonyi claims gold in men’s 800m thriller
Emmanuel Wanyonyi won gold in the Paris 2024 men’s 800m at the Stade de France on Saturday, 10 August.
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The Kenyan came home in 1:41.19, the third fastest time ever, just 0.2 seconds behind Kenyan legend David Rudisha's World Record of 1:40.91 from London 2012.
Wanyonyi faced a stiff challenge from Marco Arop of Canada who started at the back of the pack but drove hard on the second lap to take silver in a continental record of 1:41.20, and Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati, who won bronze in 1:41.50.
"This race was tough," Wanyonyi confessed. 'I felt more pressure because I knew it was not easy. Sedjati is not easy (to beat), he's a tough guy."
"So I needed to run very fast, that's why I led from the start to the finishing line. It was not easy for me," he added.
The field for the men's 800m was one of the highest quality in living memory, with Wanyonyi, the 2023 world silver medallist joined by reigning world champion Arop and Sedjati, who came into the race as the fastest man this year.
However, with the Paris crowd cheering loudly, Wanyonyi raced to the front early and maintained his lead through to the line, despite what was threatening to be a sensational comeback from Canada's Arop.
“We couldn't have asked for a better race," said silver medallist Arop. "Still trying to take it all in. A little bit bittersweet because I wanted that gold medal so bad. I knew these guys have been running 1:41 all year. I imagined if I keep myself in it and finish strong it’ll be incredibly fast. It’ll take me a moment for it to sink in.”
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This was the fifth Olympic final in a row to be won by a Kenyan athlete, while Arop's silver was the first Olympic medal by a Canadian in the event since 1964.