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Wanyonyi, Arop to collide in London Diamond League this month
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Reading Time: 2min | Fri. 10.07.26. | 17:40
The pair have only met once this season, when the Kenyan finished a place above the tall Canadian
Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi will have his second installment against his rival Marco Arop this season, when the two collide at the London Diamond League meeting on Saturday, 18 July.
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Arop, off a world-leading performance at the Paris Diamond League on 28 June, was this week confirmed to be one of the additional star names, who will grace the event to be held at the iconic London Stadium.
Initially, the two-lap race was meant to be headlined by the battle between Wanyonyi and home star Max Burgin, but for the 2023 World Champion to be added to the list.
Arop, in 2026, has enjoyed a steady season, but only won his first race in Paris after surging away to a leading time of 1:41.84.
Over his two other 800m races, the Canadian timed 1:43.33 and 1:43.11 at the Oslo and Stockholm Diamond League meets, respectively.
Over this season, Wanyonyi and Arop, whose rivalry has spiced up races over the years, have only met once, during the aforementioned Oslo meet, when the Kenyan finished a place higher in second.
Incidentally, that Oslo race was Wanyonyi’s last over the distance, and will remain that way till London, given he is trying out the 1000m in Monaco on Friday, 10 July.
Yet to win a two-lap race this year, Wanyonyi will however, be keen at retaining the London crown he won last year.
Alongside Wanyonyi, other Olympic champions who have been confirmed for London include: Rai Benjamin, Valarie Sion, Yaroslava Mahuchikh and Marileidy Paulino.
London will serve as the 11th leg of the 2026 Wanda Diamond League, which began in Shanghai/Keqiao on 16 May, and ends at the two-day series final in Brussels on 4-5 September.
