Zagreb meeting 2024: Canada's Marco Arop captures men's 1000m title; sets North American record

Marco Arop sets the fastest 1000m time of the season in Zagreb meeting 2024.

On Sunday, some four weeks after becoming an Olympic silver medallist, Canada’s Marco Arop had refocused on records and had the global 1000m mark in his sights. While Noah Ngeny’s 25-year-old world record of 2:11.96 survived another day, Arop did achieve one of the fastest times in history as he ran a North American record of 2:13.13 to set one of the seven meeting records of the day at Zagreb meeting 2024.

The performance puts him fifth on the world all-time list and saw him win by more than two seconds, with USA’s Jonah Koech claiming the runner-up spot in a PB of 2:15.15.

On a warm evening in the Croatian capital, the pacemakers reached 400m in 51.72, but Arop decided to sit back off the tempo. As the pacemaker stepped aside, Arop took control and hit 800m in 1:43.94.

The man who set a North American record of 1:41.20 to secure his Olympic 800m silver in Paris had a big final 200m ahead. With the clock ticking closer to 2:11, he powered down the home straight and crossed the finish line a couple of seconds later.

Also Read: Zagreb meeting 2024: USA’s Ryan Crouser wins men’s shot put title; sets new meeting record

“I felt good,” he said. “I think to beat the world record I need to be more aggressive early on, but there was just too much room to make up for. Overall it was a big season with a personal best, an Olympic medal and a lot of Diamond League wins. In Brussels (Diamond League final) I would like to go after the world record (in the 800m), but the conditions have to be ideal.”

Emmanouil Karalis sets meeting record to win men’s pole vault title at Zagreb meeting 2024

Olympic pole vault bronze medallist Emmanouil Karalis cleared six metres for the first time at the Diamond League meeting in Silesia and he had more cause for celebration in Zagreb as he cleared 5.88m to break the meeting record.

He entered the competition at 5.58m, which he cleared first time, and then passed to 5.78m, which he managed on his second try. After passing the next height he needed all three attempts to make it over 5.88m and although he brushed the bar on his third attempt, it stayed up and that was enough to clinch him the win.

He went on to have three attempts at 6.01m. USA’s two-time world champion Sam Kendricks was second on 5.78m. Fellow American, Carson Cody Waters came in third by clearing 5.68m.

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