Emmanuel Kipkurui Korir (born 15 June 1995) is a Kenyan middle-distance runner. He is the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and 2022 World champion in the 800 metres. Korir won the silver medal in the event at the 2018 African Championships in Athletics.
As of December 2024 he was ranked as the twelfth fastest athlete of all time over the 800 m, with a personal best of 1:42.05. Korir is a three-time Diamond League champion at the event.
Career In 2013, athletics coach Brother Colm O’Connell, who was also based in Iten in Kenya, convinced Emmanuel Korir to switch from shorter sprints to the 400 metres.
After 1:46.94 run in the finals of the 2016 Kenyan Championships, he was offered a scholarship at the University of Texas in El Paso, Texas in the USA. While at UTEP Miners, he was coached by the Olympic 800 m champion Paul Ereng.
In January 2017, Korir set an indoor world record for the 600 metres. The same year, he left the UTEP for a professional running contract with Nike, Inc.
In 2017 and 2019, he failed to make the 800 metres finals at the World Athletics Championships, securing the silver medal in the event at the 2018 African Championships in Athletics.
Korir qualified to represent Kenya at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where he won the gold medal in the 800 m event with a time of 1:45.06.
He completed the Olympic-world double at the 2022 World Athletics Championships held in Eugene, Oregon, claiming 800 m title in a season's best of 1:43.71. At the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham the following month, he was disqualified for a lane infringement in the men's 400 metres heats.
His current residence is El Paso, Texas.
Achievements International competitions 2017World ChampionshipsLondon, United Kingdom8th (sf)800 m1:46.082018African ChampionshipsAsaba, Nigeria2nd800 m1:45.651st4 × 400 m relay3:00.92Continental CupOstrava, Czech Republic1st800 m1:46.502019World ChampionshipsDoha, Qatar6th400 m44.948th (sf)800 m1:45.192021Olympic GamesTokyo, Japan–400 m1st800 m1:45.062022World ChampionshipsEugene, OR, United States1st800 m1:43.71Commonwealth GamesBirmingham, United Kingdom–400 mDQ2023World ChampionshipsBudapest, Hungary29th (h)800 m1:46.78
Circuit wins and titles Diamond League champion 800 m (3): 2018, 2021, 2022 800 metres wins, other events specified in parentheses 2017 (1): Monaco Herculis ( ) 2018 (5): Doha Diamond League, Eugene Prefontaine Classic (), London Anniversary Games (WL PB ), Birmingham British Grand Prix (MR), Brussels Memorial Van Damme 2021 (1): Zürich Weltklasse 2022 (2): Chorzów Kamila Skolimowska Memorial, Zürich (WL)
National and NCAA championships Kenyan Athletics Championships 400 metres: 2018 NCAA Division I Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championships 800 metres: 2017 NCAA Division I Men's Indoor Track and Field Championships 800 metres: 2017
Personal bests 400 metres – 44.21 (Nairobi 2018) 800 metres – 1:42.05 (London 2018) 800 metres indoor – 1:44.21 (New York, NY 2018) 1000 metres – 2:18.19 (Monaco 2022)
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