Paris Olympics: Kinyamal, Wanyonyi through to 800m semifinal as Koitatoi falls short

Kenya’s hope of securing a first medal in the men’s event got a massive boost on Wednesday afternoon after the world's fastest man in 800 meters, Emmanuel Wanyonyi, and 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medalist Wycliffe Kinyamal punched their tickets to the Olympics semi-final in a race held at Stade de France.

Three Kenyans had won the national trials to represent the country at the Summer Games, but it was Wanyonyi and Kinyamal who sailed through to the semis, leaving them with the daunting task of delivering a medal in the discipline.

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Wanyonyi, who is considered a strong candidate for the gold medal, won Heat Three seamlessly, unleashing top gear inside the final 100m to cement the lead and beat Italian Cataalin Tecuceanu, who had threatened in the closing stages of the race.

The current world record holder in the road mile clocked 1:44.64, with Tecuceanu finishing second with 1:44.80 with Swedish athlete Andreas Kramer coming in third with a time of 1:44.93.

Kenyans will be expecting Wanyonyi to book a place in the final, given his championship experience, and earn Kenya a men’s medal that has been elusive in this year’s competition.

Kinyamal raced in Heat Five, where he clocked 1:45.86 to settle for third after being beaten by strong opposition from South Africa’s Edmund du Plessis and Briton Ben Pattison, who occupied the first two places.

Koitatoi Kidali was unable to secure a place in the semifinal after being outpaced in the final bend by Botswana’s Tshepiso Masalela and Jakub Dudycha.

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Kidali, who clocked 1:45.84, will be hoping to make amends on Thursday when he takes to the track in the repechage round.

The semis will be staged on Friday before paving the way for the final set on Saturday, August 10.