Marco Arop facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Marco Arop
OLY

Arop after winning gold at the 2023 World Athletics Championships
Personal information
Born	(1998-09-20) September 20, 1998 (age 26) Khartoum, Sudan
Website	www.marco-arop.com
Sport
Country	Canada
Sport	Track
Event(s)	800 metres
College team	Mississippi State Bulldogs
Club	Running Room Athletic Club Alberta
Coached by	Christopher V. Woods, Ron Thompson
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking	1st (800 m, 2023)
Personal best(s)	800 m: 1:41.20 AR, NR (Paris 2024) 1000 m: 2:13.13 AR, NR (Zagreb 2024)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  Canada Olympic Games Silver 2024 Paris 800 m World Championships Gold 2023 Budapest 800 m Bronze 2022 Eugene 800 m Pan American Games Gold 2019 Lima 800 m NACAC Championships Silver 2018 Toronto 800 m Pan American U20 Championships Silver 2017 Trujillo 800 m

Marco Arop (born September 20, 1998) is a Canadian athlete. He competes in middle-distance running events, especially the 800 meters.

Marco is the current world champion in the 800-meter race. He won a gold medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships. The year before, in 2022, he earned a bronze medal at the same championships. He was the first Canadian man to win a world championship in the 800 meters.

He also won a gold medal at the 2019 Pan American Games in the 800 meters. Marco represented Canada at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, he won a silver medal in the 800 meters. He set a new personal best time of 1:41.20, making him one of the fastest 800-meter runners ever. This time is also a Canadian and North American record. He holds the North American record for the 1000 meters as well, with a time of 2:13.13.

Marco's Early Life

Marco Arop's family left Sudan during a civil war when he was a toddler. They lived in Egypt for a few years with his parents and three older brothers. Later, they moved to Canada.

The family first lived in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, for two years. Then, they settled in Edmonton, Alberta. When Marco was younger, he mostly played basketball. He even received a scholarship offer for basketball from Concordia University of Edmonton.

However, his high school basketball coach, Michael Wojcicki, suggested he try track and field. Marco decided to switch his focus to running. His coach later said he had no idea Marco would become such an amazing runner.

Marco's Running Career

Starting in College and First Big Wins

Marco Arop competed for Mississippi State University in 2018. He finished second in the 800 meters at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

In 2019, he won a gold medal in the 800 meters at the Pan American Games. He even set a new record for the Pan American Games. Later that year, he made his first appearance at the World Championships in Doha. He reached the final of the 800 meters and finished seventh.

After the World Championships, Marco decided to become a professional athlete. However, the COVID-19 pandemic meant that most of the 2020 running season was canceled.

Competing in the Olympics and Diamond League

In 2021, Marco had his first full season as a professional. He earned his first medal in the Diamond League, a series of top athletics meetings. He won a silver medal at the BAUHAUS-galan in Stockholm.

Marco was chosen for his first Olympic team for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He competed in the 800-meter event. Many thought he might win a medal. However, he finished seventh in his semi-final and did not make it to the final race. He and his coaches realized he often started races too fast, which made him tired at the end.

After the Olympics, Marco learned from his experience. In his next race, the Prefontaine Classic, he won the gold medal. He beat the Olympic gold and silver medalists. Just five days later, he won another Diamond League gold at the Athletissima event. His great results qualified him for the Diamond League Final, where he finished fourth.

World Championship Success

Marco started 2022 by competing in the World Athletics Indoor Championships. He again started the 800-meter race very fast. He was leading at the halfway point but then slowed down and finished eighth.

Later in 2022, Marco won his third Diamond League gold medal at the British Grand Prix. The next month, he won another Canadian national title. He ran the 800 meters in 1:43.61, which was one of the fastest times that year.

At the 2022 World Athletics Championships, Marco had the fastest time in the first round of the 800 meters. He finished second in his semi-final, which meant he automatically qualified for the final. In the final race, he won the bronze medal with a time of 1:44.28. This was only the second time a Canadian had won a medal in the 800 meters at the World Championships. Marco said this medal "means the world" to him. He also set a new Canadian record in the 1000 meters that year.

In 2023, Marco was ranked number one in the world for 800-meter runners. He won his heat and semi-final at the World Athletics Championships. In the final, he tried a new strategy. He stayed at the back of the pack for the first lap. After 500 meters, he moved to the front and stayed there to win the gold medal. He was the first Canadian man to win the 800 meters at the World Athletics Championships.

After his victory, Marco said he had imagined winning many times. He also thanked his coach, support team, and family. Soon after, he set a new personal best time of 1:43.24 at a Diamond League event. He finished second to Emmanuel Wanyonyi. At the end of the 2023 Diamond League season, he set another Canadian record and personal best of 1:42.85.

Olympic Silver and More Records

Marco began his 2024 season in February. He competed in the 1000-meter race at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. He won the event and broke the Canadian national record for the indoor 1000 meters. He also set a new North American record.

Before the 2024 Olympic Games, Marco competed in Monaco. He finished sixth in the 800 meters. However, at the Olympic Games in Paris, he performed incredibly well. He made it through the heats and semi-finals. In the 800-meter final on August 10, he won a silver medal. He finished second to Kenyan athlete Emmanuel Wanyonyi.

Marco set a new Canadian national record and a new North American record with his time of 1:41.20. This made him the fourth fastest man in history at this distance. He finished just one hundredth of a second behind Wanyonyi. In September, Marco set another North American record in the 1000 meters. He ran 2:13.13, becoming the fifth fastest man of all time at that distance.

In October 2024, it was announced that Marco joined the first season of Grand Slam Track. This is a new athletics league started by famous sprinter Michael Johnson.

Competition Results

Circuit Wins

Marco Arop has won several races in the Diamond League series:

• Birmingham: 2022 (800 m)
• Eugene: 2021 (800 m)
• Lausanne: 2021 (800 m)

See also

In Spanish: Marco Arop para niños