David Rudisha has revealed three things about Emmanuel Wanyonyi’s running that will make the 20-year-old eventually smash his 12-year 800m record.
Three-time 800m world record holder David Rudisha believes that his legendary 1:40.91 time, set at the 2012 London Olympics, is on the verge of being broken—and he sees Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi as the man to do it.
Rudisha’s world record has remained untouched for 12 years, a testament to his dominance in middle-distance running. Despite retiring early due to persistent injuries, his legacy includes two Olympic gold medals (2012 and 2016) and three world titles.
Now, Rudisha is convinced that Wanyonyi, the newly crowned Olympic champion, has what it takes to surpass his historic mark.
Rudisha has revealed the one race he ran back in 2017 that forced him to consider early retirement from track.
He pointed out three key attributes that make the 20-year-old the most likely successor: speed, endurance, and the courage to lead from the front.
Since bursting onto the international stage, Wanyonyi has achieved an incredible list of accolades in a short span.
The Paris 2024 Olympic gold medalist has already claimed a World Championship silver medal, two Diamond League trophies in the event, as well as an U20 World Championship title.
At the Paris Olympics, Wanyonyi dominated the 800m final, leading from the front to claim gold in 1:41.19, making him the third-fastest man in history. He later improved his personal best at the Lausanne Diamond League, clocking 1:41.11—just 0.20 seconds shy of Rudisha’s world record.
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Other challengers include Canada’s Marco Arop, whose personal best of 1:41.20 ranks him fourth all-time, and Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati, who holds the fifth-fastest time at 1:41.46.
Rudisha, who was quoted by Nation, acknowledged that breaking the record would be a difficult feat but believes it’s only a matter of time.
“The record has stood for 12 years, which shows it is not easy to break, but it is imminent.”
He explained why Wanyonyi has an edge over his competitors.
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Wanyonyi made a late surge over the last 200 meters to snatch the victory from Djamel Sedjati and Marco Arop to end his already-stellar season on a high that day.
“Wanyonyi ran 1:41.11 last year, equaling Wilson Kipketer’s 1997 mark, and he has the potential because of his speed, endurance, and courage to run in front.”
For Rudisha, motivation and belief are the final pieces of the puzzle.
“I never saw someone break a world record, not even Kipketer, until I broke it myself. It will be a thriller to watch someone break the record as I watch from the stands.”
With Wanyonyi knocking on the door of Rudisha’s long-standing record, the 800m world is bracing for a new era of middle-distance running.
