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Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Wycliffe Kinyamal face tough competition in the Paris 2024 Olympics 800m semi-finals aiming to uphold Kenya's dominance.
World silver medallist Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Commonwealth champion Wycliffe Kinyamal will be stepping onto the purple track of the Paris Olympics this Friday with their sights firmly set on advancing to the finals of the men’s 800m.
Wanyonyi, who timed an impressive 1:44.64 to clinch victory in heat three, looked in commanding form.
His performance saw him comfortably ahead of Italy’s Catalin Tecuceanu, who finished second in 1:44.80, and Sweden's Andreas Kramer, who came in third with a time of 1:44.93.
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06:37 - 09.08.2024
Beatrice Chebet aiming at historic double as Kenya looks to win first ever women’s 10,000m Olympics gold
Beatrice Chebet is looking to win a first women’s 10,000m Olympics title for Kenya but will have to be mindful of defending champion Sifan Hassan and controversial Gudaf Tsegay.
Despite the strong field, Wanyonyi was at ease during the first lap before holding off Tecuceanu in the latter stages of the race.
"Competition is high but I love running in front, controlling the pace and testing my reaction.
We are under a little pressure, but whatever comes our way, we will tackle it head-on. But first things first... go past the semis,"said a confident Wanyonyi after his heat.
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13:25 - 08.08.2024
Paris 2024 Olympics: Koitatoi Kidali's Olympic dream ends following dismal show in men's 800m repechage
Kenya's Koitatoi Kidali has bid his Olympic dream goodbye following his poor finish in the men's 800m repechage round at the Paris Olympics.
Wanyonyi’s approach of taking charge early in the race will be tested in the semi-finals, where he faces an elite lineup of competitors. Among them is Bryce Hoppel from the USA, who brings a personal best of 1:42.77 to the table matching his season-best this year.
Also in Wanyonyi’s heat is Belgium’s Eliott Crestan, who has a personal best of 1:42.43, and Mohamed Attaoui from Spain, boasting a personal best of 1:42.04.
Both runners are expected to push the pace and challenge for the top positions.
Australia’s Peyton Craig and Italy’s Simone Barontini will also be aiming to make their mark in this highly competitive heat.
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09:30 - 07.08.2024
Paris Olympics: Emmanuel Wanyonyi begins daunting task of tightening Kenya’s 16-year grip on 800m title
Emmanuel Wanyonyi will be the man in the spotlight when the men’s 800m starts on Wednesday as compatriots Koitatoi Kidali and Wycliffe Kinyamal also eye semi-final tickets.
Botswana’s Kethobogile Haingura and young British talent Max Burgin round out the field, each looking to stake their claim among the world's best.
On the other side of the draw, Wycliffe Kinyamal will compete in heat two.
The Commonwealth champion secured his place in the semi-finals after a third-place finish in heat five, clocking in at 1:45.86.
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09:40 - 17.07.2024
Emmanuel Wanyonyi feeling the heat as 800m Olympics Gold falls squarely on his remit
Emmanuel Wanyonyi has admitted to being under the pump to deliver at the Olympic Games as Kenya's hopes rest on him to deliver the Olympic gold medal that Emmanuel Korir won at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Despite not topping his heat, Kinyamal remains a strong contender, but he will have to navigate a formidable field in his bid to reach the final.
Leading Kinyamal’s heat is the world champion Marco Arop from Canada, who enters the semi-finals with a season-best of 1:42.93 and a personal best of 1:42.85.
Arop has been in dominant form this season, and many view him as the favorite to top this heat. However, Kinyamal remains undaunted by the challenge ahead.
“I’ve raced against the best before, and I’m ready to do it again. The Olympics is where champions are made, and I’m focused on running my best race yet,” Kinyamal stated ahead of his semi-final.
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13:17 - 12.07.2024
Wycliffe Kinyamal: Commonwealth Games champion explains why he had doubts qualifying for Olympic Games
Wycliffe Kinyamal has opened up about how he initially thought he was not the right fit for making the Olympic team but miraculously punched his ticket after finishing second at the Kenyan Olympic trials.
Joining Arop in the quest for a spot in the final is Gabriel Tual of France, whose personal best and seasonal best of 1:41.61 make him one of the top contenders alongside the Canadian.
Tual will certainly be looking to leverage home advantage as he seeks to challenge Arop for the top spot.
Elliot Giles from Great Britain also presents a strong threat and will be aiming to advance to the next round.
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07:27 - 12.07.2024
Marco Arop believes David Rudisha's 800m world record is within reach
Marco Arop is confident that David Rudisha's world record will go down soon, owing to the current crop of 800m runners.
Adding depth to this heat is the USA’s Hobbs Kessler, bringing solid credentials with a personal best of 1:43.64.
Other competitors like Edmund du Plessis from South Africa,Tobias Grønstad from Norway and Mohamed Ali Gouaned from Algeria will be ready to pounce on any opportunity to pull off a surprise.
Kenya has a storied history in the 800 meters, with past champions like Wilfred Bungei (Beijing 2008), world record holder David Rudisha (London 2012 and Rio 2016), and Emmanuel Korir (Tokyo 2020) setting the bar high.
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