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National athletics coach has predicted the 800m world record will fall at the Brussels Diamond League.
Veteran athletics coach Julius Kirwa has predicted that the long-standing men’s 800m world record, held by Kenyan legend David Rudisha, is set to fall at the upcoming Brussels Diamond League on September 13.
Rudisha’s remarkable time of 1:40.91, achieved during the 2012 London Olympics, has remained untouched for over a decade.
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However, Kirwa, a seasoned coach with years of experience in middle-distance events, believes the increasing level of competition in the 800m race is pushing athletes to new limits.
“The 800m is getting more competitive as we have seen since the Olympics. Brussels could be the stage that the record falls,” Kirwa said as per The Star.
The national athletics coach's optimism is primarily centered around Kenya’s rising star and reigning Olympic champion, Emmanuel Wanyonyi. Kirwa has been closely observing the 19-year-old and is convinced that Wanyonyi has the potential to dethrone Rudisha from his record-holding position.
“Wanyonyi is capable of breaking the record,” Kirwa emphasized.
“We witnessed him recently come within reach of the record. He missed it by mere seconds. That shows you the resolve he has to break the record.”
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Wanyonyi's progression on the global stage has been rapid and relentless.
He currently holds the joint second-fastest 800m time in history, tied with Denmark's Wilson Kipketer at 1:41.11, a mark he set during the Lausanne Diamond League.
Earlier in June, Wanyonyi posted a world-leading time of 1:41.70 at the Olympic trials, but this was later surpassed by Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati, who ran 1:41.46 in Stockholm.
Kirwa, who has seen countless athletes rise through the ranks, believes Wanyonyi’s consistency, discipline, and relentless drive are the qualities that will give him the edge.
“He is a disciplined and hard-working athlete. These are key attributes of a world beater,” Kirwa added.
“I have seen him in training and also at the Olympics. He has all the ingredients to break the record, and I believe Brussels is the perfect stage for it.”
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Another factor fueling Kirwa’s belief is the intense rivalry between Wanyonyi and Canadian athlete Marco Arop, the current world champion. The two have clashed in several high-profile races, with both athletes pushing each other to faster times.
Kirwa is confident that this fierce competition will help bring out Wanyonyi’s best performance.
“The competitiveness between the two athletes will push Wanyonyi to break the record. He has studied Arop in the races they have competed in, and I believe he will have the upper hand,” Kirwa said.
Arop has proven to be a formidable competitor as he narrowly edged out Wanyonyi at last year’s World Championships in Budapest, winning with a time of 1:44.24 compared to Wanyonyi’s 1:44.53.
But the Kenyan champion quickly struck back, defeating Arop in back-to-back Diamond League meets in Xiamen and Eugene.
In their most recent race at the Silesia Diamond League Arop came out on top again but Kirwa sees this as all part of the build-up to something special in Brussels.
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