Emmanuel Korir and Michal Rozmys in the 800m at the IAAF World Championships London 2017 (© AFP / Getty Images)
If Africa doesn’t win the men’s 800m there will be some serious questions asked.
The continent is fielding Emmanuel Korir, the Kenyan who clocked the fastest time of the season so far, 1:42.05, at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in London and who last Friday secured the IAAF Diamond League title by winning in Brussels in 1:44.72.
His teammate Nijel Amos of Botswana, 2012 Olympic silver medallist and still only 24, has run the second fastest time of the season, having clocked 1:42.14 two days before Korir’s 2018 best in winning at the IAAF Monaco Diamond League meeting.
That said, the Americas have a big chance of victory given the presence of 23-year-old Clayton Murphy of the United States, who ran 1:43.12 behind Korir in London and who demonstrated his ability to rise to the big occasion two years ago at the Olympic Games when he picked up a surprise bronze medal.
For Europe, Sweden’s Andreas Kramer has run a best of 1:45.03 this season, while his teammate, Poland’s Michal Rozmys, clocked a PB of 1:45.32 in missing out on a European medal by one place in Berlin last month.
For Asia-Pacific, India’s Jinson Johnson has a best this season of 1:45.65.
Mike Rowbottom for the IAAF
