Emmanuel Wanyonyi highlights vital lessons learned from World Championships

ATHLETICS Emmanuel Wanyonyi highlights vital lessons learned from World Championships

Abigael Wafula 08:30 - 03.09.2023

As he prepares for the Paris Olympics next year, Wanyonyi has a glimpse of what to expect.

Emmanuel Wanyonyi secured silver in the men’s 800m at the just-concluded World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, and picked up vital lessons from the global showpiece.

The 19-year-old clocked 1:44.53 to finish second behind Canada’s Marco Arop who clinched the top prize after many years of coming in second or third.

As he prepares for the Paris Olympics next year, Wanyonyi has a glimpse of what to expect in the race since the World Championships gave him a taste of what global events are all about.

“Championships are very tough and I have learned that I can’t compare such major championships with local events.

"I started the race at the front and trying to stay there was a bit difficult. In the last 200m, I lost my steps because there was a lot of pushing.

"Going for a race is like going for a fight but I thank God I finished in the podium bracket,” Wanyonyi said.

He added that being Kenya’s sole representative in the 800m final was not an easy thing. Being that the world record holder hails from Kenya, Wanyonyi noted that there was obviously a lot of pressure on him to deliver.

The defending champion, Emmanuel Korir, is also from Kenya and fans expected Wanyonyi to fill in the gaps of Korir who had an injury and failed to book a ticket to the final. 

“I was feeling the pressure running the front and I was alone. It wasn’t easy running alone…we came as four but I was the only one who made it to the final,” he said.

Wanyonyi, Ngeno Kipng’etich, Korir, and Ferguson Rotich were the athletes selected to represent Kenya in the men’s 800m but the three were knocked out before the final.

Korir and Rotich were knocked out in the heats due to injuries while Kipng’etich was defeated in the semifinal.

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