Marco Arop runningTHE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Marco Arop sets personal best at Diamond League stop in Monaco

At the first Diamond League stop of the year at the Stade Louis II in Monaco, Marco Arop ran a personal best of 1:44.14 to claim third place in the 800m.

World champion Donavan Brazier of the United States won the race, crossing through the finish line at 1:43.15. His teammate Bryce Hoppel finished in second with a time of 1:43.23.

This is a great result for Arop, as the field featured the silver and bronze medallists from the 2019 World Athletics Championships in addition to Brazier — Amel Tuka and Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich, respectively.

Marco Arop (right) runs behind the two leaders of the race.

Marco Arop (right) competes in the 800m at the Diamond League stop in Monaco on Friday August, 14, 2020. (Credit: Instagram / @matthewquine via @diamondleagueathletics)

READ: Marco Arop wins 800m gold at Lima Pan Am Games

Matthew Hughes was the only other Canadian competing. He finished fifth in the 3000m steeplechase with a season’s best of 8:16.25.

In June and July, World Athletics held two exhibition events — the Impossible Games and the Inspiration Games, in place of the two Diamond League stops that were scheduled to occur. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, athletes will not earn Diamond League points for this season, and there will be no final.

The next stop of the circuit will be on August 23 in Stockholm, Sweden.