Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi produced a scintillating finish to claim his third consecutive Diamond League 800m title on Thursday night in Zurich. The 21-year-old Kenyan demonstrated resilience and composure in a tense final stretch to outlast Britain’s Max Burgin in a dramatic photo finish.
Wanyonyi clocked 1:42.37, edging Burgin’s 1:42.42 by the narrowest of margins. Canadian world champion Marco Arop, who has often been Wanyonyi’s fiercest rival, had to settle for third in 1:42.57.
Full Results:
- Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN) – 1:42.37
- Max Burgin (GBR) – 1:42.42
- Marco Arop (CAN) – 1:42.57
- Djamel Sedjati (ALG) – 1:42.84
- Tshepiso Masalela (BOT) – 1:43.16
- Mohamed Attaoui (ESP) – 1:43.35
- Bryce Hoppel (USA) – 1:43.78
- Josh Hoey (USA) – 1:44.25
Patryk Sieradzki (POL) – DNF
It was a gripping contest from start to finish, with Burgin pressing hard on Wanyonyi’s shoulder and Arop applying equal pressure from behind. For a brief moment, it seemed the Kenyan might falter as his stride tightened in the final 20 metres.
But Wanyonyi dug deep to preserve his lead, underlining his reputation as the rightful heir to David Rudisha in the two-lap event.
The victory marks Wanyonyi’s third straight Diamond League crown, a streak that highlights his dominance in the 800m since Rudisha’s golden era.
Burgin, meanwhile, impressed with the best performance of his career, signaling his readiness to challenge for global titles in the near future. Arop’s third-place finish extended Wanyonyi’s commanding head-to-head advantage to 12–5, reinforcing the Kenyan’s supremacy in their rivalry.
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