NAIROBI, Kenya, June 10, 2026 – As he steps onto the tartan track at the Bislett Stadium in Oslo on Wednesday night, Emmanuel Wanyonyi will be celebrating an incredible milestone in his life.
The 21-year-old became a father over the weekend, and couldn’t be any happier heading into the sixth leg of the Diamond League.
Brimming from ear to ear, Wanyonyi explained he had to give the Stockholm Diamond League a wide berth, so as to witness this glorious moment.
“I couldn’t compete at Stockholm because I had to go back home straight from Rabat (Diamond League). My wife gave birth to our firstborn child and I am so happy,” the Olympic and world champion said while trying to contain his excitement.
It is the sort of extra push that the youngster needs as he pursues his first win of this year’s Diamond League circuit — as well as his second of the year.
His other win was at the Kip Keino Classic World Continental Tour in April, in which he timed 3:34.11 to win the men’s 1500m.
At his last race in Rabat, Wanyonyi clocked 1:43.56 to finish second in what was the fourth leg of the prestigious competition.
He will be up against a fairly strong line-up of rivals in the men’s 800m that includes Olympics silver medalist Marco Arop of Canada, Frenchman Gabriel Tual — who won the same race at last week’s Rome Diamond League — and Spain’s Mohammed Attaoui, among others.
