Kenya’s two-lap race sensation, Emmanuel Wanyonyi, has promised to deliver more victories in the new season after scooping the Diamond League trophy in Oregon, USA on Sunday.
The 19-year-old track prodigy lit up the Hayward Field track in Eugene with a furious kick on the home stretch to fire himself to the men’s 800m title at the Prefontaine Classic
He clocked a personal best and world-leading time of 1:42.80 to obliterate the meet record of 1:43.63 set in 2014 by Nigel Amos of Botswana.
“The race was tight but I gave it my best shot. I am happy to wind up the season on a high,” Wanyonyi said after the feat.
He avenged defeat to Canadian Marco Arop who edged him to the gold medal after a close race at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest last month.
“It’s been a brilliant year for me, a silver medal in Budapest and now this win in Oregon,” he said.
The Kenyan built his momentum on Jamaican pacer Navasky Anderson, who had set a blistering tempo to cover the first quarter of the race in 49.19.
Arop looked set to carry the day strongly as he chased down Brandon McBride’s record of 1:43.20 registered in the final meet of the season.
But Wanyonyi breezed past the Canadian on his way to clinching his first Diamond League trophy.
Arop wrapped up second in 1:42.85, ahead of Algeria’s Djamal Sedjati, who timed a personal best of 1:43.06.
World champion Mary Moraa fizzled out to a disappointing fourth in the women’s 800m race that was won by USA’s Athing Mu.
Mu, the world silver medalist in Budapest last month, clocked 1:54.97 ahead of Keely Hodgkinson who timed 1:55.19.
Goule-Toppin came third in 1:55.96 while Moraa finished with 1:57.42.
Commonwealth champion Wycliffe Kinyamal finished a disappointing ninth-place after timing 1:46.33.
Reigning World 10,000m champion Gudaf Tsegay broke Faith Kipyegon’s 5000m world record time.
The Ethiopian clocked 14:00.21 to breast the tape ahead of Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet, who clocked a Personal Best time of 14:05.92.
Tsegay mercilessly destroyed Kipyegon’s world record time which stood at 14:05.20.