Marco Arop defeats Rotich and Korir at Pre Classic

EUGENE, Ore. - Marco Arop, a young Canadian runner, defeated the Olympic first and second-place finishers in the men's 800 meter on the second day of the Nike Pre Classic. Arop failed to qualify for the Olympic finals for the distance after falling into 7th in the semifinal race.

Ferguson Rotich and Emmanuel Korir were able to secure second and third-place finishes, just mere milliseconds behind Arop.

Arop had the lead going into the final straight but as he inched closer to the finish line, Rotich and Korir began contesting for the leading position. However, Arop was able to put the pedal to the floor and walk away with the victory.

"I knew that if I got to 200 to go with the rest of the pack, I could do it. And I didn't see anyone right behind me," Arop said.

The last time Arop raced in Eugene at Hayward Field, he was able to claim a victory over the NCAA field while running for Mississippi.

He was once again surrounded by friends and family in Eugene, very different from a nearly empty stadium for his races at the Games. Arop continues to touch on how much the support he receives means to him and helps to fuel his fire.

"The amount of the support I've received from my peers has been overwhelming... that includes friends and family... it's a lovely feeling," Arop said.

The young Olympian was able to add the celebration to the team-wide celebration that Canada had following the Olympics. The Canadian track and field team had one of its most successful Olympic appearances ever in Tokyo, and Arop was grateful to be a part of it.

"Just watching some guys and women compete for their best, I was really happy to be a part of it and I'm really hoping to contribute more to that success the next time around," Arop said.

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