Former 800m star Wilfred Bungei shares thoughts on why Wanyonyi will break Rudisha’s record

Former 800m Olympic champion Wilfred Bungei believes that reigning Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi has what it takes to break David Rudisha’s long-standing world record.

The 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medalist is convinced that Wanyonyi’s front-running style will be the key to rewriting history.

Bungei dismissed claims that Marco Arop’s towering height gives him a physical advantage over Wanyonyi, arguing that race strategy and execution matter more than physique.

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“The fact that Arop has the height advantage over Wanyonyi, does count. But Wanyonyi has proven himself with his front-running. Look at how he won the Olympics.

He led from gun to tape and ran a good time. Both athletes have strengths, but Wanyonyi has the edge,” Bungei said in an interview with Citizen Digital.

The 44-year-old who dominated the two-lap event before retiring in 2010, noted that Rudisha’s 1:40.91 world record set in the iconic 2012 Olympic final may no longer be untouchable.

He pointed to the emergence of elite 800m talents such as Wanyonyi, Canada’s Marco Arop, Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati, and France’s Gabriel Tual as a sign that the record is under threat.

“These athletes are consistently clocking 1:41, and if they push each other in one race, the record will fall. The margins are there, and all indications are there,” he predicted.

According to Bungei, the Olympic years provide ideal conditions for world records due to specialized training and heightened competition.

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He also highlighted the role of modern technology, such as laser pacing beams, in helping athletes gauge their speed during races. His personal best was 1:42.34 set in 2002.

“World records often happen in Olympic years because of the specialized training and preparation athletes undergo. If I had access to such technology, I believe I could have run 1:40.70 or even 1:40.50,” he disclosed.

Beyond record-breaking potential, Bungei also offered advice to upcoming athletes on maximizing their chances of winning global titles. He emphasized the importance of race management, noting that a packed competition schedule often hinders peak performance at major championships.

“For anyone who wants to win the World Championship, history has shown us that limiting races is key. Take America’s superstar, Noah Lyles, for example—before he went to the Olympics, he only had two major races.

Especially for Kenyan athletes, I’d advise limiting races to maybe two or three in the 800m and 1500m events,” he concluded.