NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 30 – Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi says winning the World Championship and lowering his 800m personal best time top his ambitions for the 2025 season, which he says finds him more experienced and matured.
There has been talk of the 20-year old making an attempt at lowering David Rudisha’s World Record set at the Olympic Games in London 2012, but Wanyonyi says that hasn’t crossed his mind yet.
The 20-year old holds the second joint fastest time ever in the race, having clocked 1:41.11 at the Lausanne Diamond League last year. This time, which now ranks as his personal best time, is closing in on Rudisha’s 1:40.91 World Record, which he earned at the Olympic Games in London in 2012.
Speaking exclusively to Telecomasia.net, Wanyonyi says it will take a lot to lower that mark.
“My main aim this season is to run a new personal best time. I am not thinking about the World Record because this is not something that you just wake up and say you will go run the World Record. You have to internalize it, prepare well and execute well. I respect Rudisha’s record a lot because before he broke it, he lowered his PB almost five times and for me, it has happened once and I cannot talk of going for the World Record,” the modest Wanyonyi told Telecomasia.
He says his biggest target this season is to become World Champion In Tokyo, Japan, later this year.
Having missed out on the title at the last Championships in Budapest where he won silver behind Marco Arop, Wanyonyi is fueled by his win at the Olympic Games last year to go for the global silverware.
“That is what I am working on this season and my entire preparation has been focused on that. I missed out on Budapest because I lacked experience and I was still young but now I have learnt some lessons and I am motivated to go for the World title. Preparation has gone on okay and my build up has started really well. My target is to go on well, injury free until September, then I fight for the world crown,” Wanyonyi offered.
The youngster has started his season with two competitive race, running a non-conventional 1500m race at the Grand Slam Track in Jamaica as well as his specialty 800m race. He won the 1500 and finished second in the 800.
