Emmanuel Wanyonyi may be the second fastest 800m runner of all-time but he feels David Rudisha’s world record is still far from him despite being just a few seconds away.
Emmanuel Wanyonyi has been knocking on the door of the world 800m record but despite being just a few seconds away, he believes that it is still too far away.
Wanyonyi, the Olympics 800m champion, holds the second fastest time in history after running an astonishing 1:41.11 at the Lausanne Diamond League in August 2024, tying with Kenyan-born Dane Wilson Kipketer.
That time is just a few seconds shy of the world record of 1:40.91 held by another Kenyan David Rudisha, who broke it at the 2012 London Olympics, but the 20-year-old is shrugging off any talks of lowering that time this year.
“My main aim this season is to run a new personal best time. I am not thinking about the world record because this is not something that you just wake up and say you will go run the world record,” Wanyonyi told Telecomasia.net.
London Marathon: Why Eliud Kipchoge Could Earn More Than Winner Sebastian Sawe Despite Sixth Place Finish
London Marathon: Why Eliud Kipchoge Could Earn More Than Winner Sebastian Sawe Despite Sixth Place Finish
“You have to internalize it, prepare well and execute well. I respect Rudisha’s record a lot because before he broke it, he lowered his PB almost five times and for me, it has happened once and I cannot talk of going for the world record.”
It has been a meteoric rise for the world 800m silver medalist, who clocked 1:41.70 at the Kenya Olympics trials last June, before 1:41.58 at the Paris Diamond League a month later, and he would go on to win Olympics gold in an improved time of 1:41.19, before his current mark just two weeks later in Lausanne.
Even with those remarkable numbers, Wanyonyi is opting to take one step at a time and is looking at winning his first world title at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan in September, before he can entertain any talks of a world record.
“That [world title] is what I am working on this season and my entire preparation has been focused on that. I missed out on Budapest [in 2023] because I lacked experience and I was still young but now I have learnt some lessons and I am motivated to go for the world title,” said Wanyonyi, who will be 21 in September.
Top 7 Most Expensive Trophies in the World
“Preparation has gone on okay and my build up has started really well. My target is to go on well, injury free until September, then I will fight for the world crown.”
Few will bet against Wanyonyi winning the world title given his recent form and how he has started the 2025 season like a house on fire, winning the inaugural Grand Slam Track leg in Kingston early in April, having also done well in 1,500m, at Athletics Kenya Weekend Meetings back home.
Leave a Reply