- Marco Arop has disclosed that he always goes back to watch the brilliant performance that was posted by David Rudisha at the 2012 London Olympic Games.
- Arop, who has an 800m personal best of 1:41.20, describes that race as one of the best ever.
- According to Arop, he has learned numerous lessons from that race including the essence of having a positive mindset.
Canadian athlete Marco Arop has described David Rudisha’s record-breaking feat at the 2012 London Olympic Games as the pinnacle of track and field.
For Arop, Rudisha’s dominance in that memorable final that saw him set the current 800m world record of 1:40.91 without pacemakers, was a lesson on mindset.
Arop, who has an 800m personal best of 1:41.20, calls it the best race that has ever taken place in the deep history of athletics.
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“For me that’s the greatest race that has ever been run. No pacemaker, Olympic final. The pinnacle of the sport and to go out there and do something like that, I don’t think, you know, the two previous Olympic Games finals, it was sort of more of a tactical race.
I think everybody is so concerned about being in the right position, not going out and making mistakes and for somebody to be that dominant and that confidence in their abilities. It really goes to show if your mindset is in the right place, and if you have the strength and ability you can do amazing things,” he explained during an interview on BBC radio.
Rudisha, who won two Olympic Games gold medals, for Kenya before deciding to hang his sneakers, led from the start to the end of that race, where Nijel Amos and Timothy Kitum finished second and third in that order.
Amos set a national and a world junior record time of 1:41.73 while Kitum clocked a lifetime best of 1:42.53.
Arop further revealed that he usually goes back and re-watch that monstrous performance whenever he needs some inspiration.
“That’s one thing I have learned. I have been inspired by that race so many times and even to this day, I probably watch the race.
I can’t even count how many times I have seen it. When I do need a little bit of motivation, I just pull up that race and watch it again,” commented the 26-year-old.
Arop will be hoping to lower Rudisha’s mark in the near future, a feat that would help him cement his legacy as one of the greatest 800m runners of all-time.
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