Emmanuel Wanyonyi books 800m Olympics final

By Peter Ochieng

Olympic Games debutant Emmanuel Wanyonyi will be the only Kenyan, in the 2024 Paris Olympics men 800m final.

The 20-year-old short distance runner, seeking to follow in the footsteps of 800m World Record holder, compatriot David Lekuta Rudisha led from gun to tape to win his heat in a time of 1:43:32 on Friday.

So fast was Wanyonyi’s heat that the third and fourth place finishers, Briton Max Burgin and Spaniard Mohammed Attaoui both qualified for the final, in the non-automatic slots.

However, Wanyonyi’s teammate, World number 6 Wycliffe Kinyamal failed to deliver when it mattered most as he finished third in Heat 2. He reached the finish line in a time of 1:45.29, missing out on the final set for 8pm on Saturday.

In the men's marathon on Saturday, legendary long distance runner Eliud Kipchoge will attempt to become the first person to win three consecutive marathon titles at the Olympic Games, after triumphs in Rio De Janeiro in 2016, and Tokyo in 2020.

“The course is really tough – about 40% is really hilly – and I think the temperature will contribute a lot. Even by eight, nine, 10, in the morning, I think it will go up to 30 degrees. It is tough to run a full marathon in 30 degrees,” the 39-year-old told BBC Africa ahead of the race.

“It will take a lot of time for us to climatise, to prepare the mind to go through that tough temperature on the course.”

With climatic conditions at play, Kipchoge said it might be a slow or quick marathon, but his intention is to become Olympic champion again.

“It will depend on the day because it might be a faster marathon, it might be slow. But at the Olympics we don’t consider time. I want to go into history books, to be the first human being to win back-to-back-to-back.”

The race will start at 07:00 local time, and 8am East African Time (EAT). Curtains of the Paris Games in France, will come down on Sunday with the women’s marathon being the last action.