Marco Arop Shines at the Olympics, Moves to 800m Final

In an exciting turn of events at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Canadian runner Marco Arop has successfully qualified for the men’s 800m final. He achieved this impressive feat by finishing first in his semifinal heat with a time of 1 minute and 45.05 seconds.

This will be Arop’s first Olympic final after previously being cut short in the semifinals in Tokyo three years ago, where he finished in 14th place overall. The athlete from Edmonton made a bold move by taking the lead midway through the race, showcasing his competitive spirit and readiness for what lies ahead.

Arop, the reigning world champion in the 800m, acknowledges the challenge he faces as he prepares for the final, saying, “It’s going to be a tough battle both physically and mentally. I’ve participated in finals, but never at the Olympics, so this is a significant milestone for me.”

Among those also vying for the gold are Djamel Sedjati of Algeria, who won a silver medal at the World Championships, and Emmanuel Wanyonyi from Kenya, who posted the fastest semifinal time of 1:43.32.

Interestingly, Kenya has dominated the 800m event at the Olympics since 2008, and Arop will be looking to break that streak. The final is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at 1:05 PM (EDT).

<pOn another note, the Canadian women's 4x400m relay team featuring Zoe Sherar, Aiyanna Stiverne, Lauren Gale, and Kyra Constantine also made headlines as they secured a spot in the final. They finished fourth in their semifinal but their time of 3:25.77 was enough to get them a wildcard entry.

The relay team hopes to improve on their fourth-place finish from the Tokyo Olympics. After the race, Gale said, “We are excited and ready to bring our best for the final. We’ve trained hard, and we’re prepared to seize this opportunity.”

In other events, Ontarian Mariam Abdul-Rashid’s journey in the women’s 100m hurdles ended in the semifinals. She finished fifth in her heat but managed to set a personal best time of 12.60 seconds.