Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi delivered a breathtaking performance to claim his second consecutive Diamond League trophy in Brussels, stunning rivals Marco Arop and Djamel Sedjati. Wanyonyi, 20, appeared to be out of the race as World Champion Arop surged ahead, seemingly on course for victory. However, Algerian Sedjati closed in on Arop, positioning himself to overtake, before Wanyonyi stormed from behind in the final moments.
With remarkable determination, Wanyonyi crossed the finish line in 1:42.70, narrowly edging out Sedjati, who clocked 1:42.86, while Arop finished third in 1:43.25. Wanyonyi later gestured to his head, signaling that his well-executed tactics had paid off.
What a finish 🤯
Emmanuel Wanyonyi powers to an incredible comeback in the final straight of the men's 800m to win back to back Diamond League titles 💎 in 1:42.70 🤩
🥈 Djamel Sedjati 🇩🇿 1:42.86
🥉 Marco Arop 🇨🇦 1:43.25📸 @matthewquine#DiamondLeague pic.twitter.com/Sgozl3GbDJ
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) September 14, 2024
The race featured a highly competitive 800m field, including Canada’s Arop, the reigning world champion, Olympic bronze medalist Sedjati, and Gabriel Tual. Kenyan two-time Commonwealth champion Wycliffe Kinyamal and world bronze medalist Ben Pattison added further depth.
Wanyonyi’s 2024 season has been extraordinary, breaking the 1:42 barrier at the Kenyan Olympic trials and later lowering his personal best to 1:41.58 at the Paris Diamond League in July. He followed this up with a memorable victory at the Paris Olympic Games, becoming the third-fastest man over 800m with a time of 1:41.19, and improving his personal best further at the Lausanne Diamond League, running 1:41.11—just 0.20 seconds shy of David Rudisha’s world record.
With four wins in Rabat, Paris, Lausanne, and now Brussels, Wanyonyi continues to rise in the world of athletics, solidifying his place among the best 800m runners
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