Claiming victory in a lightning fast race on Saturday, Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi managed to hold off world champion Marco Arop of Canada to secure the Olympic men’s 800 meters gold.
Wanyonyi set a personal best time of 1 minute 41.19 seconds, continuing Kenya’s dominance in the event by clinching their fifth consecutive Olympic men’s 800m title.
Arop finished just one-hundredth of a second behind, setting a new North American record.
In the race, pre-race favorite Djamel Sedjati from Algeria secured the bronze medal with a time of 1:41.50, while Bryce Hoppel from the United States finished fourth with a new US record of 1:41.67.
Following his win, Sedjati was questioned about a raid conducted by French anti-doping officers at the Paris Olympic Village, which reportedly centered around his coach Amar Benida.
Addressing the media after winning the bronze, Sedjati stated, “Nothing significant occurred. These are challenges that athletes may encounter.”
Reflecting on the race, the 20-year-old Wanyonyi described it as “very tough” and emphasized the pressure he felt as he aimed to achieve his personal best at the Olympics.
Wanyonyi also revealed receiving advice from his compatriot David Rudisha, the world record holder in the 800 meters, urging him to lead from start to finish for success.
Wanyonyi acknowledged Arop’s strong finishing abilities but was determined not to be outpaced, especially after losing to the Canadian at the previous year’s world championships.
The race, witnessed by a crowd of 69,000 at the Stade de France, saw all eight athletes clocking times below 1:44, marking the first instance where four men in a single race broke the 1:42 mark.
Wanyonyi maintained a significant lead throughout the race, with Sedjati initially falling back but making a late surge to challenge the leaders.
In the intense final moments, Wanyonyi narrowly crossed the finish line ahead of Arop, while Sedjati fended off a charging Hoppel to secure the bronze medal.
Expressing his satisfaction with the outcome, Arop shared, “We’ve been preparing for this moment throughout the year, and I believe I delivered my best performance. I’m thrilled with my silver medal and personal best.”
Sedjati, despite winning the bronze, expressed his desire for the gold, highlighting the competitiveness and speed of the race as one of the fastest Olympic finals in history.
AFP