Wanyonyi, Moraa, complete 800m double in Rabat

Teenage sensation Emmanuel Wanyonyi's confidence on the track is just getting better and barring calamity, he could be the man to beat in the men's 800m at the World Championships.  

The 17-year old was in action on Sunday night at the Rabat Diamond League (DL), the fourth leg of the series, where he beat a loaded field clocking 1:45.47. 

Wanyonyi's finishing kick was on display as he surged from about 150m on the homestretch to move from fourth and into the lead for victory ahead of Botswana's 2012 Olympics silver Nijel Amos who clocked 1:45.66. 

French runner Gabriel Tual was third in 1:45.71 beating Kenya’s Collins Kipruto who led for the better part of the race to the podium. 

Victory for the World Under-20 champion, Wanyonyi, points to what is likely to happen at the eagerly-awaited World Championships trials later in the month. 

“I gave everything I had today. I had the opportunity to win this race, so I did not want to miss it. It was quite easy. Now I need to focus on the Kenyan Trials for the World Championships in Eugene and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. If I can go to Eugene, I will go to chase the gold," Wanyonyi offered after the rac.

Emmanuel Korir the Olympics champion, Michael Saruni and world bronze and Olympics silver medalist Ferguson Rotich finished eighth, ninth and tenth respectively and are expected to give Wanyonyi a run during the upcoming trials. 

Meanwhile Olympics semi-finalist Mary Moraa got her revenge on South African Prudence Sekgodiso, having lost to her at the Kip-Keino Classic as well as France’s Olympic finalist Renelle Lamote who beat the Kenyan few days ago at the Montreuil International meeting. 

In a race that saw national champion Jarinter Mawia trip and fall in he early minutes of the race never to recover, Moraa stayed on the leading pack and on Sekgodiso's shoulder for the better part of the race. 

With about 100m to the finish, the South African looked poised for a win as Moraa had relatively slowed down and seemed to struggle. 

However, the Kenyan recovered on time, with a powerful kick in the last 50m of the race to beat Sekgodiso on the line in 1:58.93 for her first DL victory as the South African finished in 1:59.23. Lamote was third in 1:59.83.