800m shocker in Budapest as Korir, Rotich exit, Wanyonyi and Ngeno advance

World under-20 champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi and the national champion Alex Ng’eno qualified for the semi-final of the men’s 800 metres at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary on Tuesday.

However, it was not a good night for the Olympic and world 800m champion Emmanuel Korir and the Olympic 800m silver medallist Ferguson Rotich after they shockingly exited in the preliminaries.

Wanyonyi hit the bell in 51.39, but dropped back for Frenchman Gabriel Tual to take the lead briefly before the Kenyan won the first heat in 1:44.92.

Wanyonyi, who finished fourth at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, last year, edged out Tual to second place in 1:45.10. The Frenchman finished sixth last year in Oregon and seventh at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Italian Catalin Tecuceanu settled third in 1:45.31 to grab the last automatic qualifying place.

Ngeno, who was tacked inside as the pack hit 400m in 55.28, then shot to the outer lane before accelerating with 200m to go to put away the third heat in 1:47.63.

World 800m silver medallist Algerian Djamel Sedjati and Saúl Ordóñez from Spain finished second and third in 1:47.87 and 1:47.97 respectively to qualify for the semi-finals from the third heat.

Korir was tacked at the middle of the pack as they hit the 400m mark in 54.04 as the Kenyan responded in vain, clocking 1:46.78 to settle fourth in the fifth heat. French Benjamin Robert won the heat in 1:46.45.

Rotich, the Olympic 800m silver medallist, stayed at the tail end of the race before settling seventh in 1:46.53 as Ben Adrián of Spain won the fourth heat in 1:45.37.