Emmanuel Wanyonyi at a previous race/ HANDOUTWorld and Olympic Games 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi is set to launch his Diamond League title defence this weekend in Rabat, Morocco, lining up for his first appearance on the circuit this season.
Wanyonyi heads into battle riding on the momentum of a stellar 2025 Diamond League campaign in the two-lap discipline.
Just like this year, the Kenyan middle-distance sensation opened his 2025 campaign in Rabat, where he was forced to settle for third place after clocking 1:43.37. Botswana’s Tshepiso Masalela stormed to victory in 1:42.70, while Britain’s Max Burgin edged Wanyonyi for second in 1:43.34.
That outing, however, proved to be the spark for an extraordinary run of dominance across the circuit.
Wanyonyi ignited his winning streak in Oslo, powering to victory in 1:42.78 ahead of Spain’s Mohamed Attaoui (1:42.90) and Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati (1:43.06). He carried that commanding form into Stockholm, where he scorched to a world-leading 1:41.95. Sedjati (1:42.27) and American Josh Hoey (1:42.43) completed the podium in a race that further underlined Wanyonyi’s supremacy.
Wanyonyi then claimed a third consecutive Diamond League triumph in Monaco, producing the fastest 800m time of the 2025 season with a 1:41.44 finish. Hoey (1:42.01) and Sedjati (1:42.20) once again settled for second and third.
At the London Diamond League, Wanyonyi remained in imperious touch, storming to victory in 1:42.00 ahead of Canada’s Marco Arop (1:42.22) and Burgin (1:42.36). His relentless march was briefly halted in Lausanne, where he finished second in 1:43.29 behind Hoey, who claimed top honours in 1:42.82.
At the Diamond League final in Zurich, there was no denying Wanyonyi his crown. The Kenyan ace sliced through the field to clinch the title in 1:42.37, with Burgin (1:42.42) and Arop (1:42.57) rounding off the podium.
Beyond his Diamond League exploits, Wanyonyi also showcased his versatility on the roads at the Adidas Adizero Road to Records event, where he captured the Mile title in 3:52.45 ahead of Americans Hobbs Kessler (3:54.34) and Nico Young (3:54.50). He further cemented his status as the man to beat by claiming the world 800m crown in Tokyo, stopping the clock at 1:41.86 as Sedjati (1:41.90) and Arop (1:41.95) settled for silver and bronze, respectively.
Wanyonyi has already fired an early warning shot for what could be another dominant 2026 campaign after opening his season with victory in the 1,500m at the Kip Keino Classic World Continental Tour Gold meeting.
The Olympic champion clocked 3:34.11 to outgun world bronze medallist Reynold Cheruiyot, who posted 3:34.73, while Daniel Munguti completed the podium in 3:36.21.
Following his commanding display at the Kip Keino Classic, Wanyonyi made his intentions crystal clear for the season ahead, revealing his hunger for fast times over his specialist distance. “I ran this 1,500m for endurance, but my focus for the season is the 800m and to run very fast,” he said.
In Rabat, Wanyonyi will face another stern test against familiar rival Max Burgin of Britain, Ireland’s Mark English, France’s Gabriel Tual and Algeria’s Slimane Moula.
