19-year-old Emmanuel Wanyonyi has yet again stunned World 800m champion Marco Arop to take the win at the Prefontaine Classic, the final Diamond League Meeting in Eugene, USA.

Competing at the Hayward Field where he finished fourth during last year’s edition of the World Championships, Wanyonyi oozed class and resilience as he had to dig deep for a win. 

Passing the 200m mark, World champion Marco Arop looked comfortable leading the pack with Great Britain’s Daniel Rowdel following closely behind him. 

19-year-old Wanyonyi was running behind the duo in third place but after passing the 500m mark, the Kenyan was now running in second place and looking comfortable to challenge Arop who was now fading. 

At the home straight, it was clear that Wanyonyi would take the win and he surely did as he sprinted to the finish line and cut the tape in a Meeting record time and World lead time of 1:42.80. 

He was just from bagging a silver medal at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, and ending his season with a win in Eugene is a huge plus for him as he gears up for next year’s Olympic Games. 

Wanyonyi has been impeccable as he beat Arop to second place at the Diamond League Meeting in Xiamen. On his part, Arop was forced to settle for second place in a national record time of 1:42.85 as Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati completed the podium in 1:43.06. 

Wycliffe Kinyamal was also in the race but he unfortunately fizzled out to finish ninth in 1:46.33.