Marco Arop wins Diamond League opener in China
This is Arop's fastest time of the 2024 season and the eighth time in his career he has run under 1:44
Photo by:
Kevin Morris
Canada’s 800m world champion, Marco Arop, had an impressive start to his 2024 Diamond League campaign in Xiamen, China, on Saturday, winning in a world-leading time of 1:43.61.
Arop led the race from the front and held on for the win on the final lap ahead of a surging Wyclife Kinyamal of Kenya. Kinyamal finished second in 1:43.66.
Canada's Marco Arop for the win in a photo finish! 🙌🇨🇦
The reigning men's 800m world champion starts his #DiamondLeague season with a victory in a time of 1:43.61 pic.twitter.com/aC3c0sJyjn
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) April 20, 2024
This is Arop’s fastest time of the 2024 season so far and the eighth time he has run under 1:44 in his career. It is also the fourth Diamond League win of his career.
The 25-year-old’s winning time in Xiamen was only an 800m world lead for a few hours until world championship silver medalist Emmanuel Wanyonyi ran 1:43.56 to win the Continental Tour Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi.
Arop had a remarkable 2023 season, winning his first world title over 800m and setting a new Canadian record of 1:42.85 at the Diamond League final in Eugene, Ore.
Less than 100 days from the Paris Olympic Games, Arop will be one of the gold medal favourites in the men’s 800m event. He will next compete for Team Canada at World Relays in Nassau, The Bahamas on May 4 and 5.
For full results from the Xiamen Diamond League, check here.
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