Kenyan trio through to 800m final in World Championships

Emmanuel Korir

Emmanuel Kipkurui Korir of Team Kenya, Peter Bol of Team Australia and Wyclife Kinyamal Kisasy of Team Kenya compete in the men's 800m Semi-Final on day seven of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 21, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon.


Photo credit: Carmen Mandato | AFP

What you need to know:

  • The Kenyans will be seeking to reclaim the gold that was last won by David Rudisha in 2015 during the Beijing Games in China.
  • The final will be held on Sunday morning.

Olympic champion Emmanuel Korir on Friday led the Kenyan contingent of Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Wycliffe Kimanyal in booking their slots in the final of the men's 800m at the World Athletics Championship in Oregon, USA.

World Indoor Championships silver medallist Noah Kibet bowed out of the championship in the second heat after finishing eighth in 1:47.15 in a race won by Algerian Djamel Sedjati.

Noah Kibet of Team Kenya competes in the Men's 800m Semi-Final on day seven of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 21, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon.

In the first heat, Korir ran a calculative race before crossing the line in 1:45.38, his season's best ahead of his compatriot Kinyamal who clocked 1:45.49 while Australia’s Peter Bol settled for third place in 1:45.58.

Korir also boasts of an Olympic title he won last year during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in Japan ahead of his compatriot Ferguson Rotich who bagged silver while while Poland’s Patryk Dobek settled for bronze.

In the third heat, Wanyonyi came in third place to narrowly qualify for the final as one of the two non-automatic qualifiers after clocking 1:45.42 behind Algerian Slimane Moula (1:44.89) and Canada’s Marco Arop (1:45.12).

Emmanuel Wanyonyi

Emmanuel Wanyonyi of Team Kenya competes in the men's 800m Semi-Final on day seven of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 21, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon.

Photo credit: Andy Lyons | AFP

The Kenyans will be seeking to reclaim the gold that was last won by David Rudisha in 2015 during the Beijing Games in China.

Since then, Kenya has managed to bag two bronze medals through Kipyegon Bett in the 2017 World Championships in London and Ferguson Cheruiyot in the 2019 Doha World Championships.

The final will be held on Sunday morning.