Emmanuel Wanyonyi on Strategy That Helped Him Pip Marco Arop, Djamel Sedjati to 800m Gold in Tokyo

Emmanuel Wanyonyi has opened up on the strategy that helped him set a new championship record and win gold in the 800 meters at the 2025 Tokyo World Championships.

Kenya’s Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi cemented his status as the new king of two laps after storming to gold in the men’s 800 metres at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Saturday.

The 20-year-old produced a perfectly executed front-running masterclass, clocking a championship record 1:41.86, just four hundredths of a second ahead of Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati.

Defending champion Marco Arop of Canada, who had beaten Wanyonyi to gold in Budapest in 2023, had to settle for bronze in 1:41.95, ensuring a dramatic reshuffle of the podium from last year’s Paris Olympics.

Controlling Race From the Front Was Important

Speaking after his victory, Wanyonyi explained that his plan was always to seize control early.

“If I wanted to win this race, I knew I had to run from the front. That’s why I decided to take the lead early and control the pace instead of sitting back,” he told the media afterwards.

Determined not to let anyone disrupt his rhythm, Wanyonyi kept pushing.

“By 100 meters in, I told myself not to allow anyone to get in front of me or block me. So I kept running aggressively to control the pace of the entire race,” he added.

Wanyonyi’s blistering final sprint, which has become his signature, was again the difference.

“I told myself to run the first 700 meters very fast, then push with everything in the last 100. I knew Sedjati would challenge me at the end, so I made sure I had the advantage by going out hard,” he explained.

That instinct proved right, as Sedjati closed furiously in the final 50 meters but fell agonizingly short.

How David Rudisha Motivates Emmanuel Wanyonyi

The youngster, who grew up idolizing world record-holder David Rudisha, said he draws constant motivation from Kenya’s golden tradition in the 800m.

“Rudisha always motivated me. I tell myself what he used to say: believe in yourself, run your race. If you run fast, you can win. Having him here today to cheer me was very special,” said Wanyonyi, visibly moved.

Wanyonyi also took time to encourage his female teammates - Lillian Odira, Mary Moraa and Sarah Moraa ahead of their 800m final.

“I wish them all the best. I want them to believe in themselves and go for gold. If they do that, I know they can win medals too,” he said.

Wanyonyi’s victory means Kenya has reclaimed the world title once held by Rudisha, keeping alive a proud tradition in the 800m. His time of 1:41.86 was not only a championship record but also a statement of intent — that a new era in the two-lap race has truly arrived.