Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Marco Arop revive their rivalry at Oslo Diamond League

World and Olympic 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi will be aiming for an impressive Diamond League performance in Oslo tomorrow, where he will renew his captivating rivalry with 2023 world champion Marco Arop of Canada.

Emmanuel Wanyonyi started his 2026 Diamond League campaign promisingly at the Rabat race on May 31, stopping the clock in 1:43.56 min to finish second. Britain’s Max Burgin dominated the race in 1:42.98 min, while Algeria’s Slimane Moula completed the podium in 1:43.73 min.

Reflecting on his performance in Rabat, Emmanuel Wanyonyi acknowledged the strong competition. “The race was good; it was my fastest time of the season. At the same time, the race was tough”, he said. The Kenyan middle-distance star, however, was encouraged by the challenge, saying it had pushed him to give it his all. “I did my best, 1:43 is not bad. I was expecting a race like this where someone would push me to the limit”, added he.

Now the 21-year-old has his sights set on Oslo, determined to return in style. He will also be looking to defend the title he won at last year’s Norwegian leg, when he sprinted to victory in a powerful final in 1:42.78 min, ahead of Spain’s Mohamed Attaoui (1:42.90 min) and Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati (1:43.06 min). But he faces a formidable obstacle in the form of the imposing Marco Arop.

The two middle-distance titans are trading blows in one of the most gripping rivalries in track and field in recent seasons. Their first major clash was at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, where Emmanuel Korir took gold in 1:43.71 min. Djamel Sedjati (1:44.14 min) and Marco Arop (1:44.28 min) secured silver and bronze respectively, while Emmanuel Wanyonyi narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth in 1:44.54 min.

They met again at the 2023 Diamond League in Paris, where Emmanuel Wanyonyi prevailed over Marco Arop, winning in 1:43.27 min, with the Canadian closely behind in 1:43.30 min.

In Monaco later that season, Marco Arop placed third in 1:43.51, while Emmanuel Wanyonyi had a rare poor day, finishing eighth in 1:44.35 min. At the World Championships in Budapest, Marco Arop won gold in 1:44.24 min, while Emmanuel Wanyonyi took silver in 1:44.53 min. But Emmanuel Wanyonyi got his revenge at the 2023 Diamond League final at the Prefontaine Classic, cruising to victory in 1:42.80 min, while Marco Arop settled for second place in 1:42.85 min.

The rivalry reached a new level in 2024, when Emmanuel Wanyonyi won Olympic gold in a breathtaking time of 1:41.19, edging out Marco Arop by the narrowest of margins after the Canadian finished in 1:41.20 min for silver.

The Kenyan also edged out Marco Arop in the Diamond League final in Brussels, winning in 1:42.70, while the Canadian finished third in 1:43.25 min. The pair met again in Monaco last year, where Emmanuel Wanyonyi cruised to victory in 1:41.44 min, with Marco Arop fifth in 1:42.73 min. They renewed their battle in London, with Emmanuel Wanyonyi again emerging victorious in 1:42.0, with Marco Arop following in second place in 1:42.22 min.

At the Diamond League final in Zurich, Emmanuel Wanyonyi recorded another triumph, taking the trophy in 1:42.37 min, while Marco Arop finished third in 1:42.57 min.

The latest chapter in their story came at the World Championships in Tokyo, where Emmanuel Wanyonyi produced a devastating final sprint to win his first world title in 1:41.86. Djamel Sedjati secured silver in 1:41.90, while Marco Arop completed the podium in 1:41.95. Joining the already formidable line-up in Oslo are Mohamed Attaoui, Ireland’s Mark English and France’s Gabriel Tual.