Kenya’s reigning 800 metre Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi recovered from his strange third-place finish in Rabat back in May to win the Oslo Diamond League meeting on Thursday night.
Wanyonyi led from start to finish to take top spot in a season-best time of 1:42.78 ahead of Spain’s Mohamed Attaoui and Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati who clocked 1:42.90 and 1:43.06 respectively.
“Today, my body felt a little tired as I have come from Kenya so the travel has been long, but I am happy with my performance against a strong field and pleased to run a season’s best,” said Wanyonyi.
Touted to go for David Rudisha’s stadium record of 1:42.04 set by the Kenyan legend in 2010, Wanyonyi just missed out as he was pushed all the way in the closing stages but held on for victory.
Five metres clear at the bell, the 20-year-old began to look a touch desperate as the field closed on him at the start of the finishing straight.
Yet he would not be passed and held on to register the second fastest time of the season behind the 1.42.70 set by Botswana’s Tshepiso Masalela at last month’s Rabat Diamond League meeting.
Emmanuel Wanyonyi turns attention to Stockholm
Following his triumph in Oslo, Wanyonyi will quickly turn his attention to the Stockholm Diamond League meeting taking place on Sunday 15 June.
The Kenyan will once again lock horns against Sedjati and Tual with compatriot Wycliffe Kinyamal joining in after missing Oslo.
