Marco Arop capped off the opening leg of the Grand Slam Track series in style, winning the men’s 800m with a commanding wire-to-wire performance in Kingston, Jamaica, on Sunday.
The reigning world champion clocked 1:45.13 to hold off Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi, who finished second in 1:46.44. Bryce Hoppel of the U.S. took third in 1:47.02.Sunday’s victory secured Arop second place in the overall points standings, earning him $50,000 in prize money. Wanyonyi, however, claimed the Short Distance title and the $100,000 top prize, following his consistent performances across both the 800m and 1500m.
“I feel great. Yesterday wasn’t the best, but I knew I had to come back with something,” Arop said after the race.
“I’m glad I came out with the win today.”
On Saturday April 5, Marco Arop competed in only the third 1,500m race of his career, finishing sixth after falling off the pace. Wanyonyi went on to win that race in an exciting final sprint.
Arop and Wanyonyi share a growing rivalry after the Kenyan edged him for 800m Olympic gold in 2024.
Edmonton’s Marco Arop is the only Canadian among 48 elite athletes competing in all four Grand Slam Track meets. The next stops include Miami from May 2 to 4, Philadelphia May 30 to June 1, and Los Angeles from June 27 to 29.
Marco Arop’s Sunday win joins his 2023 world title and 2024 Olympic silver, where he set a North American record.
With a strong start to the season, Arop has made it clear, he’s aiming for even more in 2025.
