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Emmanuel Wanyonyi powers to his maiden 800m world title in Tokyo
Kenya's Emmanuel Wanyonyi celebrates after winning gold in the men's 800m at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on September 20, 2025.
Olympic 800 metres champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi is now the world champion over the distance.
It was a brave show from Wanyonyi, and he led from start to triumph in a Championship Record time of one minute and 41.86 seconds at the National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan.
The 21-year-old Wanyonyi held off the charging Sedjati Djamel to win on the line as the Algerian settled for silver in a season-best 1:41.90.
It was another sweet revenge for Wanyonyi against Marc Arop from Canada, who had beaten him to gold in 2023 Budapest, Hungary.
The Canadian got bronze this time around in 1:41.95 in the race, with Wanyonyi hitting the bell in 49.27 seconds.
Wanyonyi now joins Kenya’s greats, world record holder David Rudisha and Emmanuel Korir to hold both the world and Olympic titles.
Rudisha held the 2011 Daegu world and 2012 London Olympics as well as 2015 Beijing world and 2016 Rio Olympics titles.
It was at the 2012 London Olympics where Rudisha shattered his own world record with a new time of 1:40.91 that still stands to date.
Rudisha watched Wanyonyi deliver the victory and the world title back to Kenya from the stands at the National Stadium alongside World Athletics president Seb Coe and his deputy Jack Tuwei, who is also the Athletics Kenya president.
Kenya's Emmanuel Wanyonyi crosses the finish line to win the men's 800m final ahead of Algeria's Djamel Sedjati and Canada's Marco Arop at Japan National Stadium, Tokyo, on September 20, 2025
Korir delivered the 2020 Tokyo Olympics title, an event that was delayed to 2021 due to Covid-19, before winning the world title in 2022 Eugene.
Wanyonyi becomes the fifth Kenyan to win the world 800m title after Billy Konchellah (1987, 1991), Paul Ruto(1993), Alfred Kirwa (2007), David Rudisha (211, 2015) and Emmanuel Korir (2022).
