World Champs Menâ€s 800 — Wanyonyi Declares Catch-Me-If-You-Can

Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi set the stadium alight by laying down the gauntlet from the get-go. (KIRBY LEE/IMAGE OF SPORT)

IN A FEARLESS DISPLAY of frontrunning, Emmanuel Wanyonyi cemented his place as the best of the deepest and fastest generation of 800 meters runners yet, winning by mere inches in the quickest World Championship 2-lapper ever.

Everyone that mattered made the final, with the exception of Americans Bryce Hoppel and Donavan Brazier, stung by bad positioning in the semis. Brazier had led the heats at 1:44.66, while high schooler Cooper Lutkenhaus was left behind after a 7th-place finish in 1:47.68.

In the semis, Marco Arop won the first, crossing the line with Djamel Sedjati as both clocked 1:45.09. Cian McPhillips took the second in an Irish record 1:43.18. Brazier got himself badly boxed and still managed a 1:43.82 in 3rd, ultimately missing the final by just 0.02. The third was won by Spainâ€s Mohamed Attaoui in 1:43.18, with Wanyonyi at 1:43.47. Hoppel, with traffic problems of his own, finished a non-qualifying 5th in 1:43.92.

Wanyonyi attacked the final as if he had never tasted doubt. He struck for the lead immediately. Max Burgin and Arop were his closest pursuers. At 200, Arop pulled alongside with the slightest of leads, 23.76–23.77, but the Kenyan did not relent.

He blew past the halfway mark in a sizzling 49.26. Arop split 49.50 and Burgin 49.59. Still, the Olympic champion kept the pressure on. He hit 600 in 1:15.24, with Arop on his shoulder, readying himself for the attack. With 100 left, Wanyonyi had four of his competitors all within 0.32, all of them unleashing their best sprints.

Yet no one could finish stronger than the man who had done all the pacesetting. Wanyonyi responded to every attack and survived to win in 1:41.86. Arop held 2nd until Sedjati nipped him at the line, 1:41.90 to 1:41.95. McPhillips delivered another Irish record in 4th at 1:42.15. Attaoui (1:42.21) and Burgin (1:42.29) came next. With Navasky Anderson (Jamaican record 1:42.76) and Botswanaâ€s Tshepiso Masalela (1:42.77) taking the last two places, it was the first race in history with 8 men under 1:43.00. Never before had all the medalists been packed so closely, within a tenth of a second.

“Todayâ€s race was fast and hard,†said Wanyonyi. “I knew it was going to be like this. I prepared myself mentally for it. I wanted to run a fast race, thatâ€s why I went to the lead. I wanted to run my personal best here and I am happy to walk away with the championship record. I knew lactic acid was going to hit me… I ran a really fast first lap and it was a hard finish as well. Thatâ€s why I had a surprised face after the finish. Everybody was strong today.â€

MENâ€S 800 RESULTS

FINAL (September 20)

1. Emmanuel Wanyonyi (Ken) 1:41.86 (x, =27 W)

(23.77, 25.49 [49.26], 25.98 [1:15.24], 26.62) (13.26, 26.62, 52.60) (49.26/52.60);

2. Djamel Sedjati (Alg) 1:41.90

(24.10, 25.96 [50.06], 25.73 [1:15.79], 26.11) (12.81, 26.11, 51.84) (50.06/51.84);

3. Marco Arop (Can) 1:41.95

(23.76, 25.74 [49.50], 25.89 [1:15.39], 26.56) (13.28, 26.56, 52.45) (49.50/52.45);

4. Cian McPhillips (Ire) 1:42.15 NR

(24.69, 25.55 [50.24], 25.92 [1:16.16], 25.99) (12.73, 25.99, 51.91) (50.24/51.91);

5. Mohamed Attaoui (Spa) 1:42.21

(25.00, 25.26 [50.26], 25.70 [1:15.96], 26.25) (13.29, 26.25, 51.95) (50.26/51.95);

6. Max Burgin (GB) 1:42.29 PR

(24.00, 25.59 [49.59], 25.98 [1:15.57], 26.72) (13.50, 26.72, 52.70) (49.59/52.70);

7. Navasky Anderson (Jam) 1:42.76 NR

(24.21, 25.58 [49.79], 25.78 [1:15.57], 27.19) (13.84, 27.19, 52.97) (49.79/52.97);

8. Tshepiso Masalela (Bot) 1:42.77

(24.11, 25.83 [49.94], 25.98 [1:15.92], 26.85) (13.86, 26.85, 52.83) (49.94/52.83).

(best-ever mark-for-place: 7–8)

HEATS (September 16)

I–1. David Barroso (Spa) 1:44.94; 2. Sedjati 1:45.01; 3. Kethobogile Haingura (Bot) 1:45.02; 4. Ibrahim Abass Chuot (Qat) 1:45.16; 5. Handal Roban (StV) 1:45.32; 6. Kipngetich Ngeno (Ken) 1:45.37; 7. Jared Micallef (Mlt) 1:46.62; 8. Giovanni Lazzaro (Ita) 1:47.00; 9. Justin Oâ€Toole (Can) 1:48.88.

II–1. Attaoui 1:45.23; 2. Kelvin Loti (Ken) 1:45.35; 3. Arop 1:45.39; 4. Samuel Chapple (Neth) 1:45.45; 5. Tiarnan Crorken (GB) 1:45.63; 6. Tom Dradiga (Uga) 1:46.18; 7. Pieter Sisk (Bel) 1:46.37; 8. Abdellatif El Guesse (Mor) 1:46.80; 9. Musa Sulimann (ART (Sud)) 1:48.28.

III–1. Maciej Wyderka (Pol) 1:46.30; 2. Ben Pattison (GB) 1:46.51; 3. Gabriel Tual (Fra) 1:46.54; 4. Mariano Garcia (Spa) 1:47.09; 5. Mouad Zahafi (Mor) 1:47.14; 6. Ibrahim Renoud Al-Zafairi (Kuw) 1:47.26; 7. Cooper Lutkenhaus (US) 1:47.68; 8. Matti Erickson (Can) 1:48.49; 9. Hein Htet Aung (Mya) 1:52.70.

IV–1. McPhillips 1:44.91; 2. Bryce Hoppel (US) 1:45.09; 3. Tyrice Taylor (Jam) 1:45.13; 4. Peter Bol (Aus) 1:45.15; 5. Ivan Pelizza (Swi) 1:45.65; 6. Catalin Tecuceanu (Ita) 1:46.22; 7. Alexander Stepanov (Ger) 1:46.32; 8. Andreas Kramer (Swe) 1:46.84; 9. Steven Rahuasi (SOL) 1:55.21.

V–1. Wanyonyi 1:45.05; 2. Francesco Pernici (Ita) 1:45.11; 3. Mark English (Ire) 1:45.13; 4. Peyton Craig (Aus) 1:45.44; 5. Mohamed Ali Gouaned (Alg) 1:45.49; 6. Tobias Grønstad (Nor) 1:45.93; 7. Ko Ochiai (Jpn) 1:46.78; 8. Abdullahi Hassan (Can) 1:47.50; 9. Ryan Clarke (Neth) 1:49.08.

VI–1. Burgin 1:44.73; 2. Masalela 1:44.74; 3. Anderson 1:44.87; 4. Yanis Meziane (Fra) 1:45.02; 5. Eliott Crestan (Bel) 1:45.05; 6. Luke Boyes (Aus) 1:45.54; 7. Patryk Sieradzki (Pol) 1:45.90; 8. Yohannes Tefera (Eth) 1:50.93; 9. Mohammed Dwedar (PLE) 1:53.63.

VII–1. Donavan Brazier (US) 1:44.66; 2. Slimane Moula (Alg) 1:44.77; 3. Marino Bloudek (Cro) 1:44.78; 4. Nicholas Kiplagat (Ken) 1:44.91; 5. Filip Ostrowski (Pol) 1:45.47; 6. Jakub Dudycha (CzR) 1:45.76; 7. Abderrahman El Assal (Mor) 1:46.12; 8. Alex Amankwah (Gha) 1:47.12; 9. Eduardo Moreira (Bra) 1:50.40.

SEMIS (September 18)

I–1. Arop 1:45.09; 2. Sedjati 1:45.09; 3. English 1:45.47; 4. Wyderka 1:45.55; 5. Pattison 1:45.84; 6. Haingura 1:46.05; 7. Taylor 1:46.56; 8. Kiplagat 1:49.54.

II–1. McPhillips 1:43.18 NR; 2. Burgin 1:43.37; 3. Brazier 1:43.82; 4. Pernici 1:43.84 PR; 5. Tual 1:44.09; 6. Barroso 1:44.27; 7. Loti 1:44.82; 8. Moula 1:46.82.

III–1. Attaoui 1:43.18; 2. Wanyonyi 1:43.47; 3. Anderson 1:43.72 NR; 4. Masalela 1:43.80; 5. Hoppel 1:43.92; 6. Meziane 1:44.12; 7. Bloudek 1:44.33; 8. Crestan 1:44.56.

Jeff Hollobaugh is a writer and stat geek who has been associated with T&FN in various capacities since 1987. He is the author of How To Race The Mile. He lives in Michigan where he can often be found announcing track meets in bad weather.

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