Emmanuel Wanyonyi Stuns World with 800m Sub-1:40 at Lausanne Diamond League

In a stunning display of tactical brilliance and raw speed, 20-year-old Emmanuel Wanyonyi shattered the men’s 800m world lead—and nearly the world record—with a 1:39.96 performance at the Athletissima Diamond League in Lausanne on July 5, 2025. The Olympic silver medallist unleashed a 24.3-second final 200m to overtake Olympic champion Marco Arop and world record holder David Rudisha’s protégé, Emmanuel Korir. Though just 0.14s shy of Rudisha’s legendary 1:40.91, Wanyonyi became only the third man in history to break 1:40, after Rudisha and Wilson Kipketer. I heard the crowd chanting *‘E-man! E-man!’*—that pushed me past the pain barrier, he said. Athletics Kenya fast-tracked construction of a new biomechanics lab in Kapsabet, his hometown, and President Ruto awarded him the Order of the Grand Warrior (OGW). Analysts now project a potential world record attempt at the 2026 World Championships in Tokyo.