Wanyonyi looking to continue winning streak in Marrakech

Reigning Wanda Diamond League men’s 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi is headed to Marrakech for the fourth meeting of the series, set for Sunday 19 May, with victory in mind.

The World silver medalist headlines a loaded 800m field that has compatriots, two-time Commonwealth Games champion Wycliffe Kinyamal and former Olympic champion Emmanuel Korir.

Wanyonyi will be competing in his specialty distance for the second time this season, having opened his campaign with victory at the Kip Keino Classic on 20 April, winning in 1:43.57.

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“I just want to win my first Diamond League (DL) of the season,” Wanyonyi told Mozzart Sport. “It is a good line up so I will respond to whatever speed the field decides to assume in the race since I am not chasing a specific time.”

Seven days after his Kip Keino exploits, he was on the road again, racing the Adizero Road to Records event in Herzogenaurach, Germany where he timed 3:54.5 in the mile, surpassing the previous record of 3:56.13 held by American Hobbs Kessler.

“This is a crucial year for me as the Summer Olympics are coming up, which is my main focus. I am also looking to lower my personal best before the Games and will be training for that after Marrakech,” Wanyonyi adds.

Wanyonyi will be wary of Kinyamal’s onslaught as the 26-year-old has come short twice in his last two Diamond League races. In Xiamen, China, Kinyamal clocked 1:43.66, finishing behind Marco Arop. He followed that up with a 1:44.88, finishing Slimane Moula.

As for Korir, his last race was at the World Championships in Budapest where he failed to move past the heats.

At 19, Wanyonyi is already a senior world medalist, a world U20 champion, a world record-holder, and a World Athletics award-winner, having received the men’s Rising Star honour at the World Athletics Awards in 2023. He is looking to add an Olympic medal to his already impressive CV.