American sprint legend Justin Gatlin and his podcast co-host Rodney Green have lauded Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Marco Arop and noted that the duo might just obliterate David Rudisha’s world record.
Rudisha set the world record at the 2012 London Olympic Games, clocking a striking 1:40.91 to cross the finish line. At the Diamond League Meeting in Lausanne, Wanyonyi threatened the world record, clocking 1:41.11 to win the race. Reigning world champion Arop crossed the finish line second in a time of 1:41.72.
Speaking on the Ready Set Go podcast, Green explained that next season, the two athletes might run under 1:41 and might not necessarily break the world record, but it would be closer to the world record.
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“That one was fast man, the 800m, Emmanuel from Kenya. What do you think about the world record falling…this boy ran 1:41.11. The guy from Canada, Marco Arop, was right behind him. They are going hand in hand, they are battling man, 1:41.72. We are getting closer and closer to that 1:40 but them pushing each other the way they are doing, I actually think we might see 1:40 next year,” Green said.
“We might not see a world record, but we shall see a 1:40. Those two guys are running in fantastic shape. He (Wanyonyi) got the world lead, the Diamond League record, the meet record, along with a personal best time. He just got a whole alphabet alongside his name, shout out to Emmanuel from Kenya,” he added.
On his part, Gatlin noted that as Rudisha set the record in 2012, he never thought anyone would break it but as things are progressing, it might be obliterated soon.
“I was there when the world record was being set by Rudisha…first of all, look, when Rudisha was setting the world record, we were like nobody will ever break that, we thought it was crazy. Now look…shout out to him (Emmanuel),” he said.
