Edmonton’s Marco Arop will get the opportunity to compete for a medal in the men’s 800m Olympic final. On Friday morning at the Stade de France, Arop won his semi-final heat in 1:45.05, securing one of the two automatic qualifying spots for Saturday night’s final.
Arop aims to become Canada’s first track medallist at the Paris Olympic Games. The three medals Canada has won so far have all come in field events: pole vault and hammer throw. Arop, the reigning world champion in the 800m, has the chance to become Canada’s first gold medallist in the men’s 800m event. Bill Crothers is the only Canadian man ever to win an 800m medal, having won silver at the 1964 Tokyo Games.
The 25-year-old said his strategy going into these Games is to manage his efforts in the heats and semis, saving energy for what could be a fast final. “It has felt great so far,” Arop told Canadian Running. “I’ve been practicing staying composed and making it look as easy as possible.”
The men’s 800m final in Paris has the potential to be one of the greatest in history, featuring Arop, Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati—a 1:41 runner who has employed similar tactics to Arop in the heats and semis.
The 800m final is scheduled for Saturday night, the final evening of track and field at the Paris 2024 Games.
Women’s 4x400m relay team qualifies for final
Arop wasn’t the only Canadian to punch a ticket to the next round on Friday morning at the Stade de France. The Canadian women’s 4x400m relay team—composed of Lauren Gale, Kyra Constantine, Zoe Sherar and Aiyanna Stiverne—also qualified for the final, finishing fourth in their heat to secure one of the two non-automatic qualifying spots.
Qualification for the women’s relay final came down to the narrowest of margins, with only one second separating seven of the eight qualified teams.
“I think this final will come down to whoever dips at the line,” Stiverne told Canadian Running. “We are ready for battle and will do whatever it takes.”
Canada finished fourth in this event at last year’s World Championships and took bronze at the World Relays in May, qualifying for the 2024 Games.
Athletics events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are taking place from Aug. 1-11. Today’s coverage is brought to you by Canadian Running and New Balance Canada. Follow us on Twitter on Instagram for all things Team Canada and up-to-date exclusive news and content.
