Emmanuel Wanyonyi reacts after winning the men’s 800m final at the Kenyan Olympic trials. (PHOTO/Matthews Mutai)
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Multiple Olympic and world champion Faith Kipyegon and world silver medallist Emmanuel Wanyonyi produced stirring displays on Saturday to cap the Kenyan Olympic Trials in Nairobi.
Kipyegon clocked 3:53.99 to win her 1500m specialty, having led from gun to tape as she punched her ticket to Paris 2024 where she will be gunning for her third Olympic gold.
That victory came after she had already secured her place in the 5000m by beating a stacked field that featured Beatrice Chebet, the World Cross Country and 5K champion.
“I am looking forward to a bright summer (at the Games),” Kipyegon told Reuters after the race.
“It was my plan to see and execute what’s possible today. I wanted to run 3:55, but it was surprisingly 3:53. I’m excited to be back on the track and executing this way.
“It was my plan to run a faster 1500 than the 5000m yesterday, I am grateful I made both teams and won both races.”
In the men’s 800m, Emmanuel Wanyonyi recovered from the brink of elimination after tripping in the heats to win in an astonishing time of 1:41.70.
His winning time is third on the world all-time list and is the fastest ever since 2012 when David Rudisha set the world record of 1:40.91 at the London Games.
The Commonwealth Games champion and African record holder Ferdinand Omanyala won the 100m in a blistering 9.79 seconds, the fastest time since 2022.
The trio will form park of a star-studded Kenyan athletics team of 40 named on Saturday afternoon that includes the marathon great Eliud Kipchoge.
Kenya will also send its Kenya Sevens team to the Summer Games as well as well as the fast-rising fencing star Alexandra Ndolo.
The East African nation won 10 medals (4 gold, 4 silver and 2 bronze) at the previous edition in Tokyo to rank 19th on the medal standings.
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