M. KisengeOREGON22: Korir delivers second gold medal for Team Kenya
Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 24.07.22. | 04:08
Wanyonyi narrowly misses the podium after finishing fourth
Emmanuel Korir gave Kenyans something to celebrate on Sunday morning after mining out gold in the World Athletics 800m race at the Hayward Field, Oregon.
The Olympic 800m champion needed 1:43.71, the best time for the United States based athlete this season to run away with the world title as well as to deliver Kenya's second gold medal in the ongoing championships.
The Olympic champion takes it 💪
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) July 24, 2022
Emmanuel Korir 🇰🇪 runs 1:43.71 to claim his first world 800m title!
GOLD FOR KENYA 🥇#WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/pVRcj7Q0Pz
Korir who surged forward with 400m to the line finished ahead of Djamel Sedjati of Algeria and Marco Arop of Canada who won silver and bronze in 1:44.14 and 1:44.48 respectively.
World U20 champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi nearly forced his way to the podium but his late dash could only afford him a fourth place finish. The 17-year old clocked an impressive 1:44.54.
Commonwealth champions Wycliffe Kinyamal who looked like a strong candidate for the podium given his show in the first lap faded when it mattered most in closing stages of the race and would finish a disappointing last with the clock stopping at 1:47.07.
EMMANUEL KORIR! He delivers when it matters. For the season he has had, this is magnificent. Second gold for Kenya In @WCHoregon22. The Olympic champion is the World Champion
— Matheka (@Lynmatheka) July 24, 2022
📸 Courtesy pic.twitter.com/g0HCJXy69h
The victory for Korir means that he has finally laid hands on a World Athletics Championships medal after failing in the 2017 and 2109 editions held in London and Doha respectively.
It also means that Kenya reclaims the world title in the two-lap race that was in the custody of Donovan Brazier of the United States.
