Korir shines in Ostrava

Emmanuel Korir of Kenya lived up to his billing as favourite in the men’s 800m as he and his Team Africa team-mate, Nijel Amos of Botswana, ensured overall victory in finishing first and third respectively.

Korir, who clocked the fastest time of the season so far, 1:42.05, at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in London on 22 July and took the IAAF Diamond League title in Brussels on 31 August, won in 1:46.50, but he was pushed to the line by Team Americas’ Clayton Murphy.

The United States runner, bronze medallist at the Rio 2016 Games, took second place in 1:46.77, with London 2012 silver medallist Amos – who has a best of 1:42.14 this year – being given the same time as the American but finishing three thousandths of a second slower according to the photo-finish.

“I was fighting until the last metres with Clayton, and did not want to give it up to Americas,” Korir said. “It did not feel weird to work with Nijel as a team member because we are friends, and we both want to bring the trophy to Team Africa.

“I had fun here because it was my last championship of the season and it was an entertaining one.”