Paris 2024: How Rudisha's pep talk spurred Wanyonyi to Olympic glory

800m Olympic gold medallist Emmanuel Wanyonyi. [AFP]

Though almost predictable and with a one tactical approach, Emmanuel Wanyonyi will be remembered for being the only Kenyan man to win a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

All the other Kenyan male athletes either won a silver or bronze medal at the Games that ended at the Stade de France yesterday.

Double gold medallist Beatrice Chebet (5,000m and 10,000m) and triple 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon were the other athletes who ensured the Kenyan national anthem was belted in the city of love.

Save for the final, the 20-year-old world silver medallist used the same tactic of leading from gun to tape to win all his 800m races at biggest stage of all on his debut in the French capital.

He managed to avenge last year’s defeat to Canadian Marco Arop at World Championships in Budapest, and consequently extended Kenya’s dominance in the race with the third-fastest time in history,1:41.19, behind world record-holder David Rudisha (1:40.90, 2012 London) and Wilson Kipketer.

Arop clocked 1:41.20 to settle for silver while Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati finished third in 1:41.50. This was Kenya’s fifth consecutive win in the race after Wilfred Bungei (2008), David Rudisha (2012, 2016) and Emmanuel Korir (2020).Having single-handedly carried the weight of the nation on his shoulders, Wanyonyi has Rudisha to thank for helping him become the youngest ever winner of the race in Olympic history.

USA's Clayton Murphy, Algeria's Taoufik Makhloufi, Kenya's David Lekuta Rudisha and France's Pierre-Ambroise Bosse compete in the Men's 800m Final during the athletics event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 15, 2016.[AFP]

And Wanyonyi was in cloud nine as he rushed to the stands to celebrate with the Kenyan legend after the race.

“I feel great, and I thank God for winning this race, it wasn’t easy. I was the only Kenyan in the race, and it was difficult to defend it alone,” he said.

“Of course, I had a lot of pressure because I had no one to assist me. But I’m glad I stuck to my tactic of leading from gun to tape. I talked to David Rudisha before the race and he told if I use my tactics well and put it in my mind, I will make it.” “He told me to take the lead, control the pace, and believe in myself. So, I followed it and raced like he did in London 2012.”

Even though Wanyonyi was not surprised with the win after following his pre-Olympic training in Kapsabet and Eldoret, he admitted that his competitors really gave him a run for his money.

“Before coming to Paris, I had agreed with my coach that I need to run very fast at the Olympics. If I want to win it, I must run my own race and run 1.41. So, I was training to run 1.41 because I was expecting very stiff competition and I knew most of them (athletes) run very fast in the last 100m,” said Wanyonyi.

“It was an epic finish and I expected Sedjati to be there, but Arop was faster. Luckily enough, I had reserved some energy for the final stretch because I knew he would beat me if I slowed down.”