• Kenyan star Emmanuel Wanyonyi finished second at the Lausanne Diamond League on Wednesday, August 20
• The gold medalist was striving for a fifth consecutive victory in the distance but came up short in the rain-drenched event
• The 21-year-old has been chasing the world record in the distance and has gotten closer in the last year

Emmanuel Wanyonyi finished second at the Lausanne Diamond League, his first defeat in four races in the Diamond League.

The Kenyan superstar is intensifying his preparations for the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, where he aims to capture his first-ever world title.

How did Emmanuel Wanyonyi perform in Lausanne?

As expected, the Kenyan led from the start but lost his lead in the final 300m to Marco Arop and other competitors.

Arop, his perennial rival, lost the lead to America’s Josh Hoey, who went on to win with a time of 1:42.82.

The Kenyan was falling behind quickly but bounced back in the last 50m to get second place in 1:43.29. Mohamed Attaoui finished third, Max Burgin fourth, and Marco Arop fifth.

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Wanyonyi secured victories in London, Monaco, and Oslo in the Diamond League, and it remains uncertain whether he will compete in the final two races.

What next for Emmanuel Wanyonyi?

Wanyonyi will likely compete in Brussels and Zurich to conclude the Diamond League season.

Earlier in the season, he stated that he was targeting the world title in Tokyo. After losing to Arop, he knows he must defeat him in Tokyo to claim the title.

“I am happy with the start to my season in this World Championship year and now,” Wanyinyi said after his win in Oslo.

“I was very happy to run under 1:42 especially so soon after winning in Oslo. I will aim to make the final at the World Champs and then we will see what happens,” Wanyonyi said after his Stockholm win.

The youngster also pocketed $10,000 (Ksh 1.3 million) in prize money, as the race was a diamond-plus discipline.

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Can Emmanuel Wanyonyi break 800m world record?

Since 2012, Wanyonyi and other 800m athletes have been striving to break David Rudisha’s record.

At the 2012 Olympics, Rudisha delivered what is widely considered the greatest performance in the Games’ history, setting a world record of 1:40.91.

It was an iconic performance, and Wanyonyi came close to matching it last year at the Lausanne Diamond League. The Kenyan clocked the second-fastest time but hasn’t approached that mark since. However, he remains confident that he can achieve it.

Faith Kipyegon misses out on world record

In a related story, TUKO.co.ke reported that Faith Kipyegon missed out on the 3000m world record.

The Kenyan superstar missed out on the record by a second in front of a packed crowd and a incredible pacing effort from Jessica Hull.

The Kenyan clocked 8:07.04 to miss the 32-year-old world record, which has stood since 1993.

Source: TUKO.co.ke