Kenya’s freshly minted 800m Olympic champion, Emmanuel Wanyonyi, delivered a stunning victory at the Lausanne Diamond League meet in Switzerland. On Thursday night, the 20-year-old sensation clocked an extraordinary time of 1:41.11, the fastest time recorded in the world since David Rudisha’s world record of 1:40.91 in the 2012 Olympic final in London.
Wanyonyi’s blistering performance was not just a win; it was a statement. He broke the Diamond League record (DLR) and the meeting record (MR) while setting a new personal best (PB). The race was a rematch against his arch-rival, Canada’s Marco Arop, who was determined to avenge his loss to Wanyonyi at the Paris Olympics. However, Wanyonyi’s relentless pace in the final stretch left Arop trailing, crossing the finish line with a considerable margin. Arop secured second place with a time of 1:41.72, while France’s Gabriel Tual claimed third with a time of 1:42.30.
Wanyonyi’s victory in Lausanne is his latest in a series of triumphs that have solidified Kenya’s dominance in the 800m distance. Earlier, he had clinched the Paris title, also outpacing Arop, with a time of 1:41.19. This consistent top-level performance not only reaffirms his status as the world’s best in the 800m but also marks him as the heir to the legacy of Kenyan middle-distance greats.
In the corresponding women’s 800m event, World Champion Mary Moraa made a triumphant return to the track after her bronze medal finish at the Paris Olympics. Moraa demonstrated her class and resilience by winning the race with a dominant performance, clocking 1:57.91. In the final 200 meters, she showcased her speed and tactical acumen, pulling away from her competitors to secure a convincing victory.
Moraa’s win in Lausanne continues her strong Diamond League form this season. She had already claimed victory in Doha in May and finished second at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, later that month. Despite facing a challenging field in Paris, where she finished third with a time of 1:57.42, trailing Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson (1:56.72) and Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma (1:57.15), Moraa’s performance in Lausanne proved that she is still a force to be reckoned with in the 800m.
The men’s 1500m race also featured a compelling battle between Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen and American Cole Hocker. Ingebrigtsen, the reigning Olympic champion, pulled away from Hocker to win with a time of 3:27.83, while Hocker finished in 3:29.85. Unfortunately, the race highlighted Kenya’s ongoing struggles in the distance, as Reynold Cheruiyot and Brian Komen placed fourth and fifth, respectively. The disappointing performances follow a difficult Olympic campaign in Paris, where both Komen, the African champion, and Tokyo 2020 silver medalist Timothy Cheruiyot failed to medal in the 1500m final.
The night also saw a thrilling 200m victory for Olympic champion and African record holder Letsile Tebogo of Botswana. Tebogo clocked 19.64 seconds, narrowly beating American sprinter Erriyon Knighton by 14 hundredths of a second. His win was another highlight of the Lausanne Diamond League meet, further cementing his status as one of the top sprinters in the world.
As the Diamond League season continues, the next meet in Poland promises more high-caliber performances as athletes gear up for the remaining competitions of the season. For Kenya, the Lausanne meet was a night of mixed fortunes, but Wanyonyi and Moraa’s victories provide a beacon of hope and pride for the nation in the world of athletics.
