By Canadian Press

Canada’s Arop runs fastest time of 800 heats to clinch berth in world semifinals

Jul 20, 2022 | 7:49 PM

EUGENE, Ore. — Canada’s Marco Arop cruised to the fastest time in the 800-metre heats to clinch a berth in the semifinals at the world track and field championships.

The 23-year-old from Edmonton, who has the third-fastest time in the world this season, ran one minute 44.56 seconds on Wednesday.

Brandon McBride, the Canadian record-holder from Windsor, Ont., went down during some jostling on the backstretch of the first lap of his heat. He got back on his feet and finished, but never made up the 50-metre gap on the rest of the field. The Canadian team submitted an appeal.

The semifinals are Thursday.

Elizabeth Gleadle of Vancouver qualified for the women’s javelin final, with a throw of 60.38 metres.

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Arop, meanwhile, has become one of the world’s most consistent 800 runners on the Diamond League circuit, and won the Birmingham, England stop earlier this season.

The 2019 Pan American Games champion didn’t qualify for the Olympic final last summer in Tokyo however, fading badly in his semifinal.

The world No. 1-ranked Max Burgin of Great Britain withdrew moments before Wednesday’s heats.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 20, 2022.

The Canadian Press