Emmanuel Wanyoni: "I'll be targetting either a 1:40 or 1:41 in my next races"

Sounds a bit like Manangoi claiming he would run 3:25 in Monaco just before he started getting caught up in 3 am traffic jams. Let's hope the young Wayanayoumi doesn't experience the same bad luck.

Talented athlete but unless your rudisha if your running 1:41 before the Olympics I’m gonna assume you are peaked already. Maybe after the Olympics they can run 1:41. 1:40 is a different world.

Wayanayoumi, like Kipsang, like Ferdinand Olamyala etc etc always start in WR potential form, then fade as the season goes on.

I wonder why that is?

Ah yes. Silver in the World Championships is fading, according to this genius.

He looked unbeatable at the start of the season. He opened with two consecutive 1:43.2 races in May. In July he finished 8th in a DL race in 1:44.3 He took an entire month off to 'recharge' for the WC and lost to Aprop. He looked sensational again after the World Championships, but still, improving from 1:43.3 at altitude in Kenya in May to 1:42.8 in September (when racing against Aprop) isn't wild progess exactly, especially when at his age he should be literally improving with every race.

The year before he looked great dominating the Ostrava Spikes meet in May and winning in 1:44 flat, then finished out of the medals in Oregan.

"I'll be targetting either a 1:40 or 1:41 in my next races"

Plot twist: his next race is a half marathon.

The astonishing part here is: this is not meant as some sort of joke.

Can you stop spelling their names wrong on purpose?

Wanyonyi and Omanyala have never, in their lives, been in WR form. Furthermore, are you suggesting that being in WR form all year is less suspicious than being in WR form for a short period? Because if you are then I have nothing else to say!

Four letters seems to be the limit...

It's definitely not on purpose.

You claimed this last year as you were actively being proved wrong on it. Wanyonyi had 1 off-race the entire season (Monaco) where he told Gault he was sick. He opened the season with a 1:43.32 win and closed the season with his 2 best performances — a 1:43.20 win and a 1:42.80 win both over Arop. Arop's new tactic in the Budapest Final to hold back and then make a massive move the second lap worked on him. Wanyonyi had not been accustomed to leading or having Arop come from the back with a head of steam.

My general thought is that he is in tiptop shape as he apparently opted to skip a sure gold at World XC in the mixed relay in favor of training. It is a big jump to 1:40-1:41 but he did make the jump from 1:43.7 to 1:42.8 last season, so perhaps a move to the 1:41hi-1:42lo range is doable.

EDIT: Also, your assertion that he took a month off after Monaco when basically every other 800m runner didn't race between then and Worlds is bizarre. Unless you had trials, that's what you do. There were no Diamond Leagues to even run...

In order to run under 1.42 we are looking at 50.0/1.15.5 at 600m at an absolute minimum (under 26.5 for the final 200m at this level of running is historically the limit).

In order to run under 1.41 you can basically take those figures minus a second (Rudisha in London was 49.28/1.14.30).

Wanyoni in Eugene was 49.4 and 1.16.1 closing in (funnily enough) 26.6ish to run 1.42.80

All I will say is good luck to him, it's not easy.

800m is the worst event of all to "save it for the Olympics." Show me a 1:41, I don't care who gets a medal for a 1:45.

They never do it after the Olympics either. Too tired, peaked, whatever.

Never up, never in.

This is an example of a guy who doesn't limit his mind.

He's got the talent and he'll keep stretching his possibilities.

Removing all these mental barriers is why we have this bunch of young 'idiots' running world class times. Meanwhile the joggers will believe its peds.