Kenya: Olympics – Gutsy Wanyonyi Makes 800m Final, Kinyamal Misses Out

Nairobi — Youngster Emmanuel Wanyonyi has qualified for the final of the men’s 800m at the Olympic Games in Paris after winning his semi-final heat on Friday, while compatriot Wycliffe Kinyamal missed out as he finished third in the second heat.

Wanyonyi led from gun to tape, taking control of the race to win in a time of 1:43.32 ahead of American Bryce Hoppel.

Thje world silver medalist had controlled the race from the start, running from the front and taking no chances, knowing only the top two were guaranteed a place in the final.

At the bell, Hoppel and Briton Max Burgin attempted to push the pace and take the front, but Wanyonyi resisted, insisting on controlling the tempo of the race himself.

At the home stretch, the chasing pack gave a push, but it wasn’t enough as the Kenyan teenager injected some pace to cross the line first.

So fast was this heat that the third and fourth place finishers, Briton Burgin and Spaniard Mohammed Attaoui both qualified for the final in the non-automatic slots after earning the second fastest times outside the top two across the three heats.

The pace ofthis heat eventually locked out Kinyamal, who had hoped to scrape through on the non-automatic ticket, but his finishing time of 1:45.29 wans’t enough to sail him through.

By Capital FM.