Kenya's Emmanuel Wanyonyi Wins Men's World 800m Gold with Championship Record

Kenya's Emmanuel Wanyonyi secured the men's 800m gold medal at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, setting a championship record of 1:41.86. This victory adds to his Olympic title from the previous year, marking a significant achievement in his athletic career. Wanyonyi led the race from the start despite his usual preference against front-running and managed to hold off a strong challenge on the final straight. Algeria's Djamel Sedjati earned silver with a time of 1:41.90, improving on his previous bronze, while defending champion Marco Arop of Canada took bronze with a time of 1:41.95. Notably, Ireland's Cian McPhillips finished fourth, setting a new national record at 1:42.15. Wanyonyi is the only male Kenyan athlete to have won gold at these championships, contributing to Kenya's total of six gold medals.