Marco Arop wins the 800m at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 (© Getty Images)
Judging an open race to perfection, Canada’s Marco Arop kicked to victory in the men’s 800m at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 on Saturday (26), adding a first global title to the bronze medal he claimed in Oregon last year.
Leaving his rivals with no response, the 24-year-old launched an attack off the final bend and Emmanuel Wanyonyi could only watch as his hopes of retaining the title for Kenya strode further and further out of reach.
Arop stopped the clock in 1:44.24 to become Canada’s first ever gold medallist in this event at the World Championships, finishing clear ahead of 19-year-old Wanyonyi, the world U20 champion in 2021, who later credited advice from world record-holder David Rudisha for helping him on to the podium.
Three days after seeing his compatriot Josh Kerr beat Jakob Ingebrigtsen to the 1500m title, Britain’s Ben Pattison ran an inspired race of his own, holding his place to bag bronze in 1:44.83, 0.08 ahead of Spain’s Adrian Ben.
Despite staying up late to work on his race strategy, Arop looked fresh as he returned to the National Athletics Centre track after winning his heat in 1:45.05 on Tuesday and his semifinal in 1:44.02 on Thursday.
Known for his front-running tactics, this time Arop shook things up. Rather than leading the race, he was content to sit at the back of the pack and was last at the bell, reached by leader Wanyonyi in 52.68. But then the Canadian started to move.
He might not have been at the front, but Arop still looked well in control. Running wide around the curve, he picked off his rivals, one by one, until he was alongside Wanyonyi as they approached the final bend.
Arop was first to hit the curve and he didn’t look back, powering away and even giving himself enough space to celebrate on his approach to the finish line.
Wanyonyi followed and then a shocked Pattison crossed the line to complete the podium. Ben finished fourth in 1:44.91 and Algeria’s Slimane Moula fifth in 1:44.95.
“This means everything to me. I'm so glad to finally be able to do this on the world stage,” said Arop.
“I don't want to be known as the guy who can only run one way. I tried to be patient tonight and put myself in a position where I could attack.
“I knew it was going to be a tactical race. I was up late last night figuring out different ways to win. One scenario was to kick from behind in the way I did. I guess it was worth staying up late.”
Wanyonyi, who followed in his compatriot Emmanuel Korir’s footsteps to make the podium the year after Korir took the title, said: “This is my second World Championships and it is heart-warming to win a medal here.
“I spoke with David Rudisha today, and he gave me some advice. He said: ‘Stay focused and fight until the end’. It feels great that he helped me to this silver.”
Pattison, the Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, also referenced the impact of a global champion. “This medal means the world to me,” he said. “I didn't have a good winter because of injury, so I am lucky this championships was late.
“One of the last people I saw today before I got on the bus was Josh Kerr. Before I could even say well done to him, he said well done to me. That is just crazy, that a great champion like him comes to me like that.”
Defending champion Korir had been among those in action in Budapest but his campaign came to an end in the heats as he finished fourth in his race in 1:46.78.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics
| MEN'S 800m MEDALLISTS | ||
| 🥇 | Marco Arop 🇨🇦 CAN | 1:44.24 |
| 🥈 | Emmanuel Wanyonyi 🇰🇪 KEN | 1:44.53 |
| 🥉 | Ben Pattison 🇬🇧 GBR | 1:44.83 |
| Full results | ||
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