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Marco Arop has opened up about the things he needs to change in order to dethrone Emmanuel Wanyonyi and his other rivals next season.
Reigning world 800m champion Marco Arop has opened up about how best he can challenge Emmanuel Wanyonyi and his other rivals if he has to do better next season.
This year, Arop has had a challenging season, losing the Olympic title to Wanyonyi in a photo finish, and failing to live up to the billing at the Diamond League Meeting final in Brussels where he finished third. Reigning Olympic champion Wanyonyi won the race as Olympic bronze medallist Djamel Sedjati came in second in the tight race.
Speaking about his performance this season, Arop noted that the main takeaway has been to learn patience and be smart when executing races. He disclosed that going for the world record and chasing faster times in most of his races has cost him a lot of victories and next season, he will be out to change the narrative.
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18:00 - 17.09.2024
Emmanuel Wanyonyi admits to being 'pressured' by people over the prospect of eventually smashing David Rudisha's 800m world record
Wanyonyi has reflected on his stellar season but remained tight-lipped on his chances of eventually smashing Rudisha's world record in the 800 meters.
At the Diamond League meeting final in Brussels, Arop started strong and could not keep up the pace, forcing him to settle for third place. He was fresh from attacking the 1000m world record at the Boris Hanzekovic Memorial. After the Olympics, Arop finished second behind Wanyonyi in Lausanne and won the meeting in Silesia.
“I think it went well overall, there are a lot of things we accomplished but still fell short on a few major goals. I think it was okay, we always expect the best because we train really hard to win these races and sometimes we don’t stop but that’s not going to stop us from trying again,” Arop told Runner Space.
“In races like this (Diamond League Meeting final), I have to be smarter…you know we can’t always chase records, we can’t always go for faster times, I think, especially when the competition is not strong. If I’m looking to win races, I have to be more patient and I have to be kind of smarter and today was an example of that. I think in championships is a little bit easier to be passive early on and race strategically but I think if I want to be a better athlete, I have to choose my battles wisely,” he added.
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16:55 - 18.09.2024
Emmanuel Wanyonyi reveals big plans for 2025 as he hints at major upgrades
Emmanuel Wanyonyi is not resting on his laurels despite a glamorous season and has unveiled plans to make some upgrades going into next season.
At the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Arop will be out to defend his title. However, he faces a stern test from the quality 800m runners that are emerging and he has to rectify a few things before actualizing his dreams.
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