Marco Arop’s 1:42.73 last week in Monaco was an 800m season’s best—but some, myself included, could argue it was one of the worst-run races of his career. But the beauty of track and field is that there’s always another race. For Arop, that comes this Saturday, as he lines up for the men’s 800m at the London Diamond League.
The reigning world 800m champion made a rare mental error in the opening 100 metres, misjudging the pace and tactics of the field. By 400m, he was already two seconds behind the leaders, including Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi. From there, he spent the bell lap trying to claw back a deficit that was simply too large in a two-lap race.
If you’ve never run an 800m, know this: the margin for error is razor-thin. One tactical mistake can derail even the fittest man in the field. Fortunately for Arop, he has the chance to rebound just eight days later, again facing Wanyonyi, who comes into London fresh off a world-leading time of 1:41.44 in Monaco. The 20-year-old Kenyan has won his last three races, all in sub-1:43 times, and will be the man to beat.
Arop won’t be the only athlete in the field looking to bounce back. He’ll face a stacked field that includes American Bryce Hoppel (the reigning world indoor champion) and Spain’s Mohamed Attaoui, a 2024 Olympic finalist. Both athletes will be looking for redemption after underperforming in Monaco.
Also drawing attention is the long-awaited return of American middle-distance runner Donavan Brazier, who is making his first Diamond League appearance since May 2022. After nearly three years out of the sport, the former world champion has had a resurgence, running his fastest times in five years.
Saturday’s race will be Arop’s final tune-up before he heads to Ottawa to defend his national 800m title at the Canadian Track and Field Championships—a title he’s won for three consecutive years.
While this 800m might not have quite the same buzz as last week’s race in Monaco, which featured seven of the eight Olympic finalists, it still carries weight. After all, this is the same London Stadium track where David Rudisha set the world record of 1:40.91 back in 2012. With 10 world-class athletes on the start line, could we see another magical moment on this historic track?
How to watch
You can catch all of the action live on Saturday on cbcsports.ca, starting at 9:00 a.m. ET. For more information on the London Diamond League schedule and results, click here.
