Reigning world 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi has revealed that the secret behind his growing dominance in the two-lap race lies in an unshakable mindset of never allowing himself to be beaten twice by the same opponent.
Wanyonyi, while speaking on NTV’s Sport On show, said his competitive drive and mental resilience have shaped his rapid rise to the top of global middle-distance running.
“When I lose a race, I don’t allow the same person to beat me again using the same tactics,” Wanyonyi declared.
“If someone beats me today, I go back to the drawing board, analyse where I went wrong and make sure I come back to win.”
In 2025, the world champion has lost only three 800m races.
His first defeat came on April 6, when he clocked 1:46.44 to finish second behind Canada’s Marco Arop, who won in 1:45.13.
On May 25 at the Rabat Diamond League, he placed third in 1:43.37 behind Botswana’s Tshepiso Masalela (1:42.70) and Britain’s Max Burgin (1:43.34).
His third and final loss of the season came on August 20 under harsh weather conditions in Lausanne, when he clocked 1:43.29 to settle for second place behind American Josh Hoey (1:42.82).
But the Kenyan ace had his revenge on the biggest stage of all, the Tokyo World Championships. On September 20, he outkicked all his rivals to capture his maiden global crown in 1:41.86.
Hot on his heels were Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati and Canada’s Marco Arop, who also dipped under 1:42, clocking 1:41.90 and 1:41.95 respectively in one of the fastest championship 800m races in history.
Wanyonyi admitted that losing can deeply affect athletes, but he believes resilience is what separates champions from the rest.
“If there’s something that affects most athletes, it’s losing races. When they come back, some are never quite the same,” he said. “But losing is part of winning. This is sport, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.”
Before his golden run in Tokyo, Wanyonyi had enjoyed a near-perfect campaign across the Diamond League circuit. He stormed to victories in Oslo (1:42.78), Stockholm (1:41.95), Monaco (1:41.44), and London (1:42.00) before capping his stellar season with the Diamond League Final trophy in Zurich, clocking 1:42.37.
Reflecting on his triumph in Tokyo, Wanyonyi attributed his success to staying calm and composed despite the magnitude of the event.
“When you are under too much pressure, your expectations become too high,” he explained.
“You can say you are going to win, but in a race, anything can happen, and you might end up last. You should not enter a race with 100 per cent pressure. 60 to 70 per cent is enough to keep you sharp.”
He admitted that maintaining composure was vital in navigating a stacked field of elite competitors.
“In Tokyo, if I had been under pressure, I would have told myself to sit back and wait for the final kick. I would have lost that race,” he said. “All the athletes in that final were strong. Sitting behind would have been a mistake.”
Instead, Wanyonyi took control early, dictating the pace and rhythm of the race. “I told myself to go to the front, push and not allow anyone to come past me,” he said.
