Emmanuel Wanyonyi, the silver medallist in the world 800m category, recently shared insights into his strategic approach for the upcoming Olympic year. Contrary to speculation, the 19-year-old athlete has ruled out any immediate attempts at surpassing David Rudisha’s world record, opting for a more measured progression.
After an impressive 2023, which saw Wanyonyi secure a silver medal at the World Championships and claim the Diamond League Trophy, expectations are high for his performance in 2024. Despite the buzz surrounding a potential world record attempt, Wanyonyi remains steadfast in his approach.
In an interview with World Athletics, Wanyonyi outlined his primary goal for 2024, stating, “My target is to run 1:41.” While acknowledging suggestions that he could pursue the world record in the coming year, Wanyonyi emphasized the importance of gradual development, noting, “The world record may come in a few more years, but I am still young.”
Before his victory at the Diamond League final, where he set a world-leading Personal Best of 1:42.80, Wanyonyi secured a silver medal at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, with a time of 1:44.53. Reflecting on this performance, he recognized that adhering to advice from mentor Rudisha and his coach led to suboptimal tactics, costing him the gold.
Learning from past experiences, Wanyonyi redeemed himself at the Diamond League meeting in Xiamen in September. Running from the front with approval from his coach, he clocked another world-leading time of 1:43.20, outpacing Canadian Marco Arop, who finished second with a personal best of 1:43.24.
Expressing his passion for running and competition, Wanyonyi highlighted the friendly rivalry with Arop, emphasizing, “He makes me train hard for our competitions.” As he looks forward to the 2024 Olympics, Wanyonyi stressed the importance of maintaining discipline for the challenges that lie ahead.
