NAIROBI, Kenya, August 27, 2025 – Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi does not believe he is the outright favourite to win the Diamond League final in Zurich on Thursday night.
Wanyonyi admits he will have to be at his best to come out tops because anyone can win the men’s 800m.
“I wish the best of luck to all the competitors. It won’t be an easy race because anybody can win. I don’t want to say I am the outright favourite because I know all the competitors have come prepared to win just as I have,” the 20-year-old.
The 20-year-old leads the Diamond League standings with 45 points, 17 ahead of second-placed Josh Hoey of the United States.
It promises to be a firecracker of a race that boasts the who-is-who of the men’s 800m, including Hoey — who clocked 1:42.82 to win the last leg of the Diamond League in Lausanne, a week ago.
Also in the mix is world champion Marco Arop of Canada as well as Botswana’s Maselela Tshepiso who won the first two legs of the Diamond League in Doha and Rabat.
World Indoor champion Bryce Hoppel will also be hoping to close his Diamond League season on a high by notching his first win of the circuit.
The American’s best result so far is a second place finish in Doha, where he clocked 1:43.26.
Olympic champion Djamel Sedjati has had interesting battles with Wanyonyi in the past one year and Thursday’s race represents the latest episode.
The Algerian has finished on the podium in all the Diamond League races he has competed in this year, including Monaco (third), Stockholm (second) and Oslo (third).
Spaniard Mohammed Attaoui is also one to watch out for in the race, having already won in Paris in June where he timed 1:42.73 for the win.
In Lausanne, he finished just behind Wanyonyi, clocking 1:43.38 to take third place.
All said and done, Wanyonyi boasts the fastest time in the start list this year after running 1:41.44 on his way to winning the Monaco Diamond League on July 11.
The youngster will be seeking his third Diamond League trophy after previous wins in 2022 and 2023.
