Olympic and world 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi could pocket up to Sh12.8 million after his historic performance in Monaco, where he broke the men’s 1,000m world record.
Wanyonyi will receive US$10,000 (Sh1.3 million) for winning the race and another US$50,000 (Sh6.47 million) after setting a new world mark at the Meeting Herculis event.
The 21-year-old could also earn an additional Sh5 million from the government reward programme for Kenyan sports personalities who break world records across all sports, bringing his total potential earnings from the achievement to Sh12.8 million.
Wanyonyi produced a remarkable run in Monaco to erase compatriot Noah Ngeny’s 27-year-old 1,000m world record, clocking 2:11.83 to lower the previous mark of 2:11.96 set on September 5, 1999.
His performance improved the record by 0.13 seconds and set a meet and Diamond League record.
The Kenyan achieved the feat in his first-ever attempt over the distance, maintaining his composure after the second pacemaker, Louey Ouerrat, dropped out before the 800m mark.
He reached the 800m point in 1:45.11 before making a strong push in the final stages of the race to cross the finish line ahead of the field and secure his place in athletics history.
Britain’s Jake Wightman finished second in 2:12.77 to move fifth on the world all-time list, while Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati came third in 2:13.94. Japan’s Ko Ochiai also set a national record after recording 2:15.24 in seventh place.
Wanyonyi said he was delighted to have achieved the milestone in his first 1,000m race.
“This was the first time I ran the 1,000m, and breaking the world record makes me so happy. I want to thank the other athletes who pushed me to my limit,” Wanyonyi said.
The record-breaking performance attracted praise from President William Ruto, National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) president Shadrack Maluki and his deputy Barnaba Korir, who is also Athletics Kenya’s Director of Youth and Development.
President Ruto described Wanyonyi’s achievement as remarkable and phenomenal, saying the victory showed the strength of Kenyan athletics.
“Wanyonyi’s historic achievement has once again shown the world the strength of Kenyan athletics and made our nation immensely proud,” Ruto said.
“His outstanding milestone will inspire many more generations of champions.”
Maluki said Wanyonyi’s achievement was a sign of what could come from him and other Kenyan athletes ahead of the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
“Your achievements are a reflection of Kenya’s enduring spirit, resilience, and sporting excellence,” Maluki said, adding that local athletes have raised the national flag high with pride and have inspired millions of young people to believe that greatness is possible through discipline, hard work, and determination.
“I also congratulate your coaches, support teams, and your families for their exceptional support that has helped elicit this accomplishment,” Maluki said.
Korir said Wanyonyi’s record-breaking display showed his talent, hard work and determination, adding that he could be the athlete to challenge David Rudisha’s 800m world record of 1:40.91.
“We are proud of you and wish you even greater success in the competitions ahead,” Korir said.
Wanyonyi has previously moved close to Rudisha’s record after running a personal best of 1:41.11 at the Lausanne Diamond League on August 22, 2024.
The time left him level as the second-fastest 800m runner in history alongside Kenyan-born Dane Wilson Kipketer, whose 1:41.11 world record from 1997 was later broken by Rudisha.
Rudisha first lowered Kipketer’s record by running 1:41.09 in Berlin on August 20, 2010, before improving it again eight days later with another 1:41.09 performance in Rieti, Italy.
Wanyonyi’s latest achievement has increased expectations that he could eventually challenge Rudisha’s long-standing 800m world record.
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