By Lori Ewing
PARIS (Reuters) -Kenya's Emmanuel Wanyonyi held off one of the strongest fields in history to win the Olympic gold medal in the men's 800 metres on Saturday, securing his country's fifth consecutive Olympic title in the event.
The 20-year-old Wanyonyi blazed to a time of one minute 41.19 seconds, making him the third fastest man ever over the distance. The world silver medallist narrowly missed the world record of 1:40.91 set by Kenya's David Rudisha at the 2012 London Olympics, in laying down the fifth fastest time ever run.
Canada's world champion Marco Arop furiously tried to overtake the Kenyan over the final 100m, but finished one-hundredth of a second behind in 1:41.20.
"I thought (Arop) would repeat last year because of experience," Wanyonyi told reporters. "You come from the back, then you beat me the last 200 metres. So this time I told Arop, 'Nobody can beat me twice. You need to work hard if you feel to beat me'."
Algeria's Djamel Sedjati, the favourite after going unbeaten all season and setting four world-leading times, made a tactical error in sitting near the back of the pack for too long and crossed the line in 1:41.50 for bronze.
"This race was tough," said Wanyonyi, who turned 20 just nine days ago. "I felt more pressure because I knew it's not easy. Sedjati is not easy (to beat), he's a tough guy."
BOLD RUN
Wanyonyi boldly led from gun to tape as the first seven across the line were separated by about a second and a half.
"Rudisha told me yesterday, 'You need to run your race, to run from the start to the finish in front. (Beating) the world record's not easy. Maybe you can do it in the future, not now'."
Wanyonyi, one of 11 children, was a cattle herder from a young age to help feed his family. He always loved running, which led to a meeting with world champion Janeth Jepkosgei who was passionate about coaching young talents.
He made a remarkable global debut, winning the 2021 World Under-20 Championships in a time that would have earned him gold at the Tokyo Olympics that year.
Arop's silver was a North American record and the first Canadian Olympic medal in the event in 60 years.
"You've heard the saying 'iron sharpens iron', being able to compete against (Wanyonyi and Sedjati) is the reason why I've gotten as fast as I have. They motivate me every single day in training," said Arop, who once dreamed of playing in the NBA before Canadian coach Ron Thompson convinced him his future was in running.
"I know people have been wondering why the 800m hasn't been so fast the past few years, and I'm glad that we're able to show that the 800m can be one of the exciting events again," added the 25-year-old, who was born in Sudan and forced by the civil war to flee with his family of eight when he was two years old.
Sedjati, who had been third quickest in history before Saturday, is known for his remarkable kick, but delayed his move too long.
"Maybe this is the fastest competition that I've witnessed," Sedjati said. "I live with an excellent generation regarding the men's 800m."
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Ed Osmond)
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