Arop: I think the 800m world record will be broken in Brussels

Kenya-born Canadian, Marco Arop says the 1:40.91 800m World record set by David Rudisha in London in 2012 will likely be broken at the Diamond League final in Brussels next month.

Arop ran 1:41.86 meeting record to beat Olympic champion, Emmnauel Wanyonyi for the first since the World Championships final in Budapest last year and the Canadian is confident he, Wanyonyi or Algerian, Djamel Sedjati can do it in Brussels.

Wanyonyi is tied for second with Denmark’s Wilson Kipketer in the all-time list with the 1:41:11 he ran to win at the Lausanne Diamond League meeting last week while Arop is third with the 1:41.20 he ran to win Olympic silver in Paris while Sedjati is fourth 1:41.46 run to win the Diamond League meeting in Monaco in July.

‘I am going to do 1km in Zagreb and I want to try to break the world record and will be back in Brussels for the Diamond League final.

The world record, it is definitely going to go. I think in Brussels. Honestly, all three of us (Sedjati and Wanyonyi) could win the race. It is very possible. So it is very exciting to be a part of the 800m,’ said the 2023 World champion post race.

Arop is also delighted to get his first won over Wanyonyi in about a year.

‘Finally, I get the win. I think this is my first win over Wanyonyi since last year at the World champs, so it was a good race today.

‘Fast track and amazing atmosphere. I managed to run fast – just wanted to see how fast I could go. Pacing was perfect, I stayed in lane 1 this time so that kind of helps a little bit. I am just glad I am able to step on the line and to be able to compete.

‘After the Olympics, I was gathering myself and was ready to race again. It was not that hard, I ran the best race of my life and even thought that I could not win in Paris, I keep my head up and I know I gave it my all,’ he said.