Title holder Korir man of the moment in 800m heats
Kenya's Emmanuel Kipkurui Korir celebrates winning the men's 800m final during the World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon on July 23, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Korir, who had been plagued by injury in the days leading to the Kenyan trials staged at Nyayo National Stadium on August 8, got a direct entry to the world championships by virtue of being the defending champion.
- He won men’s 800m title at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon in 1:43.71, and also holds the Olympic title which he won at the delayed 2020 Olympics in Tokyo in a time of 1:45.06.
In Budapest, Hungary
Olympics and world 800 metres champion Emmanuel Korir begins the defence of his world title from 8.51pm tonight at the World Athletics Championships here in Budapest.
At the same time, Commonwealth Games champion Abraham Kibiwott, Simon Koech, and Leonard Bett will compete in the final of men’s 3,000m steeplechase against Olympics and world champion, Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco, and Ethiopian duo of world record holder Lamecha Girma and Getnet Wale tonight from 10.42pm.
In world record holder David Rudisha of Kenya, who is here as guest of championship organisers World Athletics, Korir has a subtle reminder of what he and his team mates can achieve at these championships.
Rudisha holds the world record over the two-lap race of one minute and 40.91 seconds which he set in victory at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
Korir, who had been plagued by injury in the days leading to the Kenyan trials staged at Nyayo National Stadium on August 8, got a direct entry to the world championships by virtue of being the defending champion.
He won men’s 800m title at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon in 1:43.71, and also holds the Olympic title which he won at the delayed 2020 Olympics in Tokyo in a time of 1:45.06.
Korir, who will run in the fifth heat from 8.51pm, has spoken of his desire to retain the world title here alongside Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Alex Ng’eno and Ferguson Rotich.
“Everything has been fine at the camp, from training, to the weather and food, and what remains if for us to go out there and shine. The priority in the first round will be to reach the semi-finals, and to take it forward from there,” Korir told Nation Sport from Team Kenya camp yesterday.
“Reaching the semi-final and the final is the first step, then we can fight for something in the final,” Korir said. “As defending champion, I know everyone wants to see how I will run in the first round, but I have my tactics.
Every athlete must have a secret card for the race. I might run from the front, stay in the middle, or choose to run from the front. I will do my best, starting from the heats, and hopefully we will go back home with something good again this year,” Korir said.
Wanyonyi, who has a season best time of 1:43.27, will run in the first heat from 8.20pm, while Ng’eno, with a season best time of 1:44.21, will run in the third heat from 8.36pm. Rotich will run in the fourth heat from 8.44pm.
Kibiwott, Koech and Bett face a tough task as they seek to reclaim the title Conseslus Kipruto won for Kenya in Doha in 2019 against defending champion El Bakkali, world record holder Girma, and his compatriot Getnet Wale.
Kibiwott and Bett have said they will employ team work in the race.
“We have a strategic plan with my team mates and coaches to win back the title. The weather looks fine now,” Bett said in Budapest.
TEAM KENYA PROGRAMME
Today
Men’s 800m heats
8.20pm
Emmanuel Korir, Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Alex Ng’eno and Ferguson Rotich
Men’s steeplechase final
10.42pm
Abraham Kibiwott, Simon Koech, and Leonard Bett
Women’s 1,500m final
10.30pm
Faith Kipyegon and Nelly Chepchirchir
