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Emmanuel Wanyonyi speaks after securing 4th straight Diamond League win in Brussels
05th September, 2026 12:24 PM
Kenyan Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi produced another outstanding performance in Brussels on Friday night, September 4, 2026, to successfully defend his Diamond League 800m crown for the fourth consecutive year.
Wanyonyi dominated the men’s 800m final at the King Baudouin Stadium, clocking an impressive 1:41.80 to set a new meet record.
The performance came remarkably close to the 22-year-old’s own world-leading mark of 1:41.76, which he established at the Diamond League meeting in Zurich.
With the World Athletics Ultimate Championships approaching, Wanyonyi’s commanding display offered further evidence that he is in excellent shape as he prepares for another major international assignment.
Speaking shortly after the race, the Kenyan star made it clear that securing victory had been his primary objective.
“Today was all about winning,” he told reporters after the race. “I knew that I would have to run 1:41 to win and I did. I win now the Diamond League for the fourth time in a row and that´s just fantastic!
Wanyonyi also acknowledged that the conditions in Brussels were challenging, although the weather did not prevent him from producing a world-class performance.
“The conditions were not ideal tonight,” he added – not that it seemed to affect the reigning world and Olympic champion. “The wind didn’t bother me that much, I was happy it stopped raining.”
The victory further strengthens Wanyonyi’s status as one of the leading 800m runners in the world. The Paris 2024 Olympic champion has now added another Diamond League triumph to an already impressive list of achievements.
Sedjati takes second as Meziane breaks through
Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati finished second after producing a strong late surge to overtake France’s Yanis Meziane and Canada’s Marco Arop during the closing stages.
Sedjati, who had only recently won 800m gold at the 2026 Mediterranean Games, completed the race in 1:42.71.
Meziane followed in a personal-best 1:43.87, while Arop, who appeared to tire towards the finish, recorded 1:43.50.
For Meziane, the performance represented a significant step forward. His appearance in the Diamond League final itself had only been confirmed earlier in the week, but he took full advantage of the unexpected opportunity.
“This was an absolute dream race! At the start of the week I wasn´t even qualified for the Diamond League Final,” reacted Meziane. “I learned on Tuesday that I had the opportunity to run and I fully took it.
The Frenchman said he began to believe a major breakthrough was possible after seeing his time at the 600m mark.
“When I saw the time at 600m, I realised that I was able to do something really big today. Then I even passed Marco Arop!” he added. “Running this kind of time was the goal for this year, but I must admit that I didn´t believe it would come this late.
His strong showing also secured him qualification for the upcoming World Ultimate Championships.
“Everything clicked and now I´m even qualified for the World Ultimate Championships,” he celebrated. “It feels incredible to finally put out that superb time right now. Even if I had to wait for it until September!”
Wanyonyi will now turn his attention to the next major challenge, with his latest Diamond League victory adding further momentum to his bid for continued dominance over the men’s 800m.
