A Kenyan teenager, Emmanuel Wanyonyi, has achieved the third-quickest time ever recorded in the men’s 800m event, clocking the swiftest pace since 2012 during the Nairobi Athletics Olympics Trials on Saturday.
This performance secured his qualification for the 2024 Paris Games.
Despite nearly missing the finals due to a stumble in Friday’s semi-finals, he rebounded with a time of 1:41.70, establishing himself as the third-quickest man in the event’s history.
“If I didn’t fall yesterday, I would not have run like this today, so everything happens for a reason,” the 19-year-old reflected on his journey.
Notably, only Kenya’s two-time Olympic champion David Rudisha and Denmark’s Wilson Kipketer have recorded faster times.
Rudisha holds the world record at 1:40.91 and has also secured the second- and third-quickest times, followed by Kipketer with a time of 1:41.11.
Also, sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala qualified for the Kenyan team by setting a world-leading time of 9.79 seconds in the men’s 100 metres, showcasing a return to form after setting the African record of 9.77 in Nairobi last year.
Meanwhile, middle- and long-distance runner Faith Kipyegon achieved victory by winning both the 1500m and 5,000m races at the trials.
The double Olympic champion is optimistic about her prospects for the upcoming Paris Olympics, and aims to add two more medals to her collection.
The athletics competition at the Stade de France in Paris will run from August 1 to August 11, 2024.
