Emanuel Wanyonyi claimed his dominance in the men’s 800 metres by winning the Diamond League Final in Zurich on Thursday night.
The 21-year-old crossed the line in 1:42.37, edging Great Britain’s Max Burgin in a dramatic finish at Letzigrund Stadium to secure his third consecutive Diamond League trophy.
Burgin, who set the pace for much of the race, finished second in 1:42.42, just fractions of a second behind. Canada’s Marco Arop, the reigning world champion, placed third in 1:42.57, while Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati followed in 1:42.84. Spain’s Mohamed Attaoui, another rising contender in the event, clocked 1:43.35 for sixth place.
The last 100 metres saw a head-to-head battle between Wanyonyi and Burgin. With the British runner holding the inside lane, Wanyonyi timed his kick perfectly, surging past in the closing strides to claim victory by the slimmest of margins.
“It was a hard race,” Wanyonyi said afterwards. “Burgin was very strong, but I trusted my last kick. Winning here again means a lot, especially with so many strong athletes in the race.”
Thursday’s win capped an outstanding Diamond League campaign for Wanyonyi. He has been a constant presence at the top of the 800m rankings, producing some of the fastest times of the season.
In Stockholm, he clocked 1:41.95, then the world lead.In Monaco, he ran 1:41.44, setting a meeting record and again lowering the world-leading mark.Earlier wins in Oslo and London further demonstrated his consistency against top opposition.
With those results, Wanyonyi arrived in Zurich as the clear favourite, leading the Diamond League standings with 45 points ahead of rivals including Attaoui and American Josh Hoey.
The Zurich race also highlighted the growing depth in the men’s 800m. Burgin’s strong challenge signalled the emergence of a credible rival for Wanyonyi, while Arop, the Canadian world champion, has consistently been among the top finishers this season. Sedjati, too, has proven himself a threat in fast-paced races.
The Zurich final marked the conclusion of the Diamond League season. No further competitions are scheduled in the Swiss city this year, making Wanyonyi’s victory the last stop before the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, set to begin in mid-September.
Wanyonyi heads into the global meet as the overwhelming favourite for gold, having maintained both form and fitness across the long season. His back-to-back Diamond League titles in 2023 and 2024 had already established him as a force.
With Tokyo just weeks away, he will now seek to add another global title to the season.