NAIROBI, Kenya, September 21, 2025 – Newly crowned world champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi has revealed how the great David Rudisha helped him prepare for victory at the World Championships in Tokyo on Saturday evening.
Wanyonyi says the men’s 800m world record holder gave him priceless advice on how to win the world title.
“He spoke to me last night (Friday) and he told me to run fast in the race, warning me that if I slowed my pace, then I would not win. His words were really motivating for me and helped me win this world title,” the 21-year-old said.
Wanyonyi clocked a championships record of 1:41.86 to win the men’s 800m in a pulsating race — his second title in the senior ranks.
Algerian Djamel Sedjati had to settle for second with a season’s best (SB) of 1:41.90 as immediate former champion, Marco Arop of Canada bagged bronze after timing 1:41.95 — also a SB.
Rudisha, who set a world record of 1:40.97 to win the Olympic title in 2012 in London, was in the crowd to witness his fellow countryman win Kenya’s first ever crown at the competition since he last won it in 2015 in Beijing, China.
The youngster was elated that his idol was there to watch him in action.
“Of course, he is a legend of this race and a world record holder. He is my mentor and role model…someone I have looked up to for many years. Having him in attendance only adds to the motivation to win,” Wanyonyi said.
The Olympic champion further expressed his excitement at becoming the latest in a long line of Kenyans to dominate the one-lap race.
“Kenya has been quite dominant in this race for ages and I am very happy that I am one in a long line of runners who have clinched the world title from Kenya. I hope to continue our country’s legacy in this discipline,” he said.
Looking back to the nail-biting race, in which he had to hold on tightly to his lead amid the marauding runs of Sedjati and Arop, Wanyonyi said he was always mentally prepared.
“I knew I had to be at my best. The strategy was to take the lead from the get-go and then push in the last 100 metres. Arop and Sedjati are very good runners and so I was equally prepared to deal with their threat,” the 2021 World Under 20 champion.
His win brought Kenya’s medal tally to 10, including six gold, two silver and two bronze.
