1. Emmanuel Wanyonyi was born on 1 August 2004 and is a Kenyan middle-distance runner specializing in the 800 metres, who won the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in this event.
16 Facts About Emmanuel Wanyonyi
1. 2.
Emmanuel Wanyonyi briefly held the world record in the road mile, with a time of 3:54.56, from April 2024 to September 2024.
3.
Emmanuel Wanyonyi has five brothers and six sisters, and is the only member of his family who runs.
4.
When Emmanuel Wanyonyi was 18, his father died, forcing his mother to move away with his younger siblings.
5.
Emmanuel Wanyonyi continued to run in his free time and was noticed by a teacher who convinced him to return to school.
6.
Emmanuel Wanyonyi won the gold medal at the 2021 World Under-20 Championships, setting a championship record in the process.
7.
At the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Emmanuel Wanyonyi finished second to Marco Arop in the 800 metres, with a time of 1:44.53 while Arop ran 1:44.24.
8.
Emmanuel Wanyonyi broke the world record in the road mile with a time of 3:54.56 at the Adizero Road to Records event in Herzogenaurach, Germany, on April 27,2024.
9.
Emmanuel Wanyonyi's record has since been broken by British athlete Elliot Giles, who ran 3:51.3 in September 2024.
10.
In June 2024, Emmanuel Wanyonyi ran 1:41.70 to win the 800 metres at the 2024 Athletics Kenya Olympic Trials, making him then the 3rd-fastest performer ever over this event, behind Wilson Kipketer's 1:41.11 and David Rudisha's world record of 1:40.91.
11.
On 7 July 2024, at the Meeting de Paris, Emmanuel Wanyonyi came in second place to Djamel Sedjati in the 800 meters, running a personal best of 1:41.58 while Sedjati ran 1:41.56.
12.
At the 2024 Olympic Games, Emmanuel Wanyonyi made it through the heats and semifinals of the 800 metres.
13.
Only one hundredth of a second behind Emmanuel Wanyonyi was the 2023 800 metre World Champion Marco Arop, who set a new North, Central American, and Caribbean area record.
14.
On 22 August 2024, Emmanuel Wanyonyi lowered his 800 metre personal best by 0.08 seconds to 1:41.11 at the Lausanne Diamond League.
15.
On 5 April 2025, at the 2025 Grand Slam Track Kingston meeting, Emmanuel Wanyonyi, competing as a challenger, won the 1500 metres over 2024 Olympic medalists Cole Hocker, Josh Kerr, and Yared Nuguse, in a time of 3:35.18.
16.
On 26 April 2025, Emmanuel Wanyonyi defended his title in the road mile at the Adizero Road to Records event, setting a new personal best of 3:52.45, which stands as the third fastest performance in history.