Tokyo Olympics: Two Kenyans on the podium for Men’s 800m finals, as Emmanuel Kipkurui takes gold

Tokyo Olympics: Two Kenyans on the podium for Men’s 800m finals, as Emmanuel Kipkurui takes gold

Tokyo Olympics

Kenya continued their domination in Men’s 800 event, as Emmanuel Kipkurui and Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich finished on the podium places after a closely contested final. Meanwhile, Poland’s Patryk Dobek took the bronze medal in the event.

Emmanuel Kipkurui took the gold medal with a timing of 1:45.06, whereas, Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich recorded a timing of 1:45.23. The Men’s 800m finals was one of the highly anticipated finals, and it did not disappoint as two favorites finished on the podium places.

Emmanuel Kipkurui marks his Olympic debut in style

Tokyo Olympics
Tokyo Olympics

Emmanuel Kipkurui’s career kicked off in 2017, when he competed in the World Championships. He finished fourth in the semifinals of Men’s 800m event, and failed to qualify for the finals. However, recent years have been very productive for him, as he won a silver medal at the African Championships in 2018.

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Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich was the more experienced athlete of the two Kenyans, and claimed the silver medal after making a late dash in the last 100m. Rotich won the bronze medal at the World Championships in 2019, and was one of the top contenders to win a medal in Tokyo.

Patryk Dobek proved to be the dark horse when it came to the event, as he outraced some of his fierce rivals to win bronze. Dobek claimed the gold medal at the European Indoor Championships this year, to kickstart his preparations for Tokyo Olympics.

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