Canada's Marco Arop claims gold in men's 800m at World Athletics Championships

Marco Arop, of Canada, celebrates winning the gold medal ahead in the Men's 800-meters final during the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

BUDAPEST, Hungary — Canada's Marco Arop struck gold in the men's 800 metres at the World Athletics Championships on Saturday.

Arop ran a time of one minute 44.24 seconds. The 24-year-old from Edmonton is the first Canadian male to win world gold in the event.

He was the second Canadian to medal in the men's 800 at last year's worlds when he earned bronze. Gary Reed won silver in 2007 in Osaka, Japan.

Kenya's Emmanuel Wanyonyi (1:44.53) and Great Britain's Ben Pattison (1:44.83) grabbed silver and bronze, respectively.

Arop spent the entire first of the two-lap race in last place coming out of lane seven. However, he pulled out to the third lane to advance ahead of the pack early in the final lap and cruised to victory.

Arop entered the worlds as the top-ranked 800 runner and with the third-best time in the world this year at 1:43.30.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 26, 2023.