Emmanuel Wanyonyi (R) in a previous competition with Canada's Marco Arop (C) and Algeria's Djamel Sedjati / HANDOUT
World and Olympic 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi is set to step away from his trademark two-lap event this Friday as he takes on the 1,000m at the Monaco Diamond League, where he will lock horns with Algeria's Djamel Sedjati.
The race will mark Wanyonyi's first-ever appearance over the 1,000m, adding another intriguing chapter to the 21-year-old's rapidly blossoming career.
Sedjati, however, heads into the contest with previous experience over the distance. The Algerian made his lone appearance in the event in 2024, storming to victory at the ACNW Track and Field League meeting in South Africa in 2:13.97.
Despite making his debut over the distance, Wanyonyi has already demonstrated remarkable versatility beyond the 800m, particularly in the 1,500m.
In his opening race of the 2026 season, Wanyonyi lined up in the 1,500m at the Kip Keino Classic on April 24, producing a commanding front-running performance to triumph in 3:34.11. He crossed the line ahead of world bronze medallist Reynold Cheruiyot, who clocked 3:34.73 for second place, while Daniel Munguti completed the podium in 3:36.21.
Last year, Wanyonyi also stunned an elite field over the distance at the Kingston Grand Slam Track meet, timing 3:35.18 to outkick Olympic medallists Yared Nuguse (3:35.36) and Cole Hocker (3:35.52).
Heading into Monaco, Wanyonyi is still chasing his first Diamond League victory of the season. The Kenyan launched his Diamond League campaign in Rabat on May 31, finishing second in the men's 800m after clocking 1:43.56 behind Britain's Max Burgin, who won in 1:42.98.
Algeria's Slimane Moula completed the podium in 1:43.73. He followed that up with another runner-up finish at the Oslo Diamond League on June 10, where he clocked 1:42.09, just one-hundredth of a second behind American Cooper Lutkenhaus, who edged him in 1:42.08.
Canadian Marco Arop rounded off the podium in 1:43.33. Adding further depth to the stacked Monaco field are Spain's Mohamed Attaoui, France's Azeddine Habz, American Bryce Hoppel and Britain's Jake Wightman.
Meanwhile, world 3,000m steeplechase bronze medallist Edmund Serem will be chasing a third successive Diamond League podium when he lines up in Monaco.
Serem heads into the meeting fresh from a third-place finish in Paris, where he clocked 8:08.54 behind Germany's Karl Bebendorf (8:05.55) and Ethiopia's Gemechu Godana (8:05.86). Before that, the Kenyan finished second in Stockholm in 8:12.27 behind Morocco's Soufiane El Bakkali, who won in 8:10.40.
Serem leads a formidable Kenyan contingent comprising his elder brother Amos Serem, Simon Koech, Leonard Bett and Cornelius Korir as they seek to challenge for the podium.
The Kenyans, however, will have to contend with a strong challenge from reigning world champion Geordie Beamish of New Zealand.
Elsewhere, 2022 world 5,000m silver medallist Jacob Krop will team up with Cornelius Kemboi in the men's 5,000m.
