Rudisha won gold medals in the 800m at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympic Games, where, at the former, he set the world record with a time of 1:40.91, which has now stood 13 years to be shattered.
The 21-year-old, who took over from the injured Rudisha, currently has his personal best of 1:41.11, set at the 2024 Lausanne Diamond League. Wanyonyi and Wilson Kipketer are tied for second place in the all-time 800 metre list, behind only Wanyonyi's compatriot Rudisha, who holds the world record.
Wanyonyi, who won the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics and the 2025 World Championships in this event, also briefly held the world record in the road mile, with a time of 3:54.56, from April 2024 to September 2024.
During the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Wanyonyi produced an impressive show to clock 1:41.86 and win the men’s 800m final, but could not break the record.
‘Anyone can break a world record’
In a recent interview, Wanyonyi, who won the gold medal at the 2021 World Under-20 Championships, setting a championship record in the process, believes it will not take a long time before the record comes tumbling.
Wanyonyi, who at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest finished second to Marco Arop in the 800 metres with a time of 1:44.53 while Arop ran 1:44.24, further said it may not be him to break the record, backing athletes competing in the race to do it.
“The world record is very close, and I must admit that anyone can break a world record. It doesn’t have to be me because, at the moment, anyone can break that record,” Wanyonyi said in an interview on NTV’s Sport On as quoted by Pulse Sports.
“I think there is time for everything; that time will just come because when you force things, it will not work. I don’t feel any pressure when it comes to the world record, as long as I have clocked a good time and won a race.
He added: “When the time to break the world record comes, I won’t even feel like I have broken it, but when I force it, it won’t even come.”
Wanyonyi concluded: “Running does not work well under pressure because if you’re pressured, you will lose focus. When you are pressured, you tend to have high expectations, which might make you lose. You just need to have a little bit of pressure.”
During the race at the Iconic London Stadium, Rudisha led from the start to finish to win gold in what was acclaimed “The Greatest 800 Meter Race Ever”. In doing so, he became the first and, so far, only runner to break the 1:41 barrier for 800m. From the start of the final race, he led and pulled away from the rest of the field after 200 metres, completing the first lap in 49.28 seconds.
In a recent interview, Rudisha admitted the 800m record was under threat and could be shattered anytime soon.
"Now there is technology and spikes. They are now using spikes and some of the best shoes, and their training is also scientific. It will be good to see them finally reach that limit because world records are usually very special,” said Rudisha as quoted by Mozzart Sports.
“I might not be running, but I set the standard. Even when we were introduced to the field, we found records set by athletes who came before us. That is the bar I set before I left the track, and every other athlete coming up is looking at that record. It is good to see them striving to achieve that.”
Rudisha further tipped Wanyonyi to break the record: “Like Wanyonyi is now the second fastest. If he keeps doing the right training and pushing on, it is just a matter of time before he breaks the record.
“This is one thing we get to see once in a lifetime. I am wishing them well, and I can see them closing in on the record.”
At the age of 18, Wanyonyi was placed fourth at the 2022 World Athletics Championships.
