Teenager Emmanuel Wanyonyi qualified for the Paris Olympics by running the fastest 800 meters since 2012 at the Kenyan Athletics Olympics Trials in Nairobi on Saturday.
Although he almost missed the finals after tripping and falling during Friday’s semi-finals, he recorded a time of 1:41.70, making him the third-fastest man in history for the event.
“If I hadn’t fallen yesterday, I wouldn’t have run like this today, so everything happens for a reason,” the 19-year-old remarked.
Kenya’s two-time Olympic champion, David Rudisha, and Denmark’s Wilson Kipketer are the only runners who have posted faster times.
Rudisha holds the world record of 1:40.91 and has also run the second and third fastest times while Kipketer has the fourth-fastest time of 1:41.11.
David Rudisha of Kenya, a two-time Olympic champion, and Wilson Kipketer of Denmark are the only athletes who have achieved faster times in the 800m event.
Rudisha holds the world record with a time of 1:40.91 and also holds the second- and third-fastest times. Kipketer has recorded the fourth-fastest time of 1:41.11, making them the only two athletes to have broken the 1:41.20 barrier.
Middle- and long-distance runner Faith Kipyegon also triumphed at the trials. The double Olympic champion is eager for a successful summer in Paris, where she aims to secure two medals after dominating both the 1,500-meter and 5,000-meter races.
Kipyegon clinched the 1,500 meters in 3:53.99, just shy of her world record of 3:49.11. “I aimed to execute as quickly as possible and test my capabilities at the finish line.
“People often doubt running fast at high altitudes, but I wanted to challenge that and see if weather conditions would affect me,” she remarked post-race.
Looking ahead to the Olympics, Kipyegon expressed hopes of maintaining her current form. In the same event, women’s 800-meter world champion Mary Moraa secured second place, while her sister Sarah Moraa took third, both qualifying for Paris.
The athletics competition at the Olympics is set to occur at the Stade de France in Paris from August 1–11.
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